


He's Such A Dick

by tommysinful



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Josh Devine, Alpha Zayn, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Beta Liam, Bottom Niall, Enemies to Lovers, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Mutual Pining, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Pining Niall, Pining Zayn, Top Zayn, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 23:41:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 36,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4765334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommysinful/pseuds/tommysinful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn is a douchebag alpha and Niall is his omega neighbor and college really sucks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Once again, once a-FUCKING-gain there was that god damn stereo blasting through his wall. Niall rolled over completely exhausted since finals were soon approaching and upon checking the time he saw it was nearing three am. He had class in four hours and only been asleep for maybe one.

There was a list of things he loved about going to this university: the amazing curriculum, the gorgeous campus and of course his very close friends from orientation, one beta (Liam) one alpha (Harry) and his omega (Louis). Just to name a few.

But there was one thing he fucking despised about going to this university. His neighbor in the dorm.

Zayn Malik. Resident alpha and douche canoe wannabe bad boy. He smoked too much, drank too much, partied too much and didn’t give enough fucks about anything really. He wondered how Zayn stayed enrolled since he never once saw him study or do anything besides get high or drunk and annoy the ever loving fuck out of one Irish guy.

And the worst upon worst thing about Zayn? He was fucking gorgeous. Rather average height but that was about the only thing average about him. He had chiseled cheek bones and devastating stubble the color of coal that coincided perfectly with his hair, a lean build with thin arms and once when seeing him playing footie outside in the commons, Niall saw his body was littered with ink in all types of nooks and crannies and sometimes Niall wanted to trace them. With his tongue.

But the bad outweighed the good and it didn’t matter how pretty he was, he was still a dick.

This happened almost on a weekly basis actually. Something would happen; the music would be blaring, the acrid smell of weed would seem to sponge into the walls and carpets, too many people laughing and twice so far there had been a fight that actually involved campus security. Zayn must have had a parent or relative high up in the ranks around this place cause anyone else would’ve been expelled ages ago.

He grumbled as he made his way out of the bed and flung open his door, three steps and he was in front of Zayn’s and banged on it so hard it made the wood shake. Upon the door being opened he was met with the smell of pot and beer and laughter from a group of people, Zayn with pinked eyes and a lazy smile, “Niall! How nice of you to drop by!”

Niall huffed a breath and cringed at the smell, he didn’t mind smoking pot and he loved to drink but Zayn left him in the dust when it came to the severity of it, “Eat me. Can you please turn that shit down. I have a class real early and I’d like to get some form of sleep tonight.”

“Aw, is my favorite little omega sleepy?” He retorted in a patronizing voice. Niall hated that especially. But he was actually sort of hot doing it? His hair fallen to cover his forehead, tight beater on leaving nothing to the curves of his body, his small six pack and loose joggers hanging dangerously low on his hips.

“I swear to god Malik, I am begging you, can you please turn that down.” He said it more as a command but as an omega you can’t really tell an alpha what to do. He’d have to ask Louis how he was good at that with Harry some day.

Zayn leaned forward and against the doorframe, “Mmm, like it when you beg Ni, s’pretty hot.”

Niall rolled his eyes, “Zayn, please?”

Zayn seemed to back down and put up his hands in surrender, “Alright, alright. Everyone out. Ni needs his beauty sleep.” And he chuckled raising the volume of the stereo and nobody moving.

Niall wanted to hit him but he was too tired to do so he just flipped him off-Zayn made an insulted face with hand to his chest-and threw his school things for the next morning and a change of clothes with his door still open, the sound of Zayn’s get together flooding the halls. How was no one else getting angry about this?

He slipped on his shoes and was making his way down the hall when the alpha’s voice questioned him, “Where you going?”

Niall turned around half asleep, disheveled and carrying his bag, “The fuck is it any of your business?”

He wasn’t sure if what he saw was true but it looked as if his reply had actually hurt his feelings. Like he had pouted and was going to counter him but didn’t. Niall blamed it on his lack of sleep that he was seeing things.

Two floors down he crawled into Liam’s bed, the beta so used to this by now he didn’t even jump-first three times he did and the second almost beat Niall to death. He felt Liam’s arm wrap around his waist from behind, “Zayn?” came his sleep filled voice.

“He’s such a dick.” Niall yawned and heard Liam agree from behind him.

XXXX

The next few weeks went on as usual. Exams were taken and holidays were finally over and the school had poured back in and everything went back to normal. Including his once a week meetings with Zayn at three in the morning. Sometimes even twice a week.

Each time he started off angry and fed up, Zayn would tease him and then when Niall had had enough he’d leave to sleep in Liam’s bed and each time the alpha seemed hurt by it. Niall was confused for sure because why the fuck should he care he was leaving? If anything it gave him the opportunity to play his shit louder, although that seemed an impossible feet by now.

Niall was sitting in class, his mandatory English class, when he felt his body start to feel funny. His pulse quickened and his body began to warm up rapidly. He felt the first break of sweat on his brow and even in his loose shirt and baggy jeans he was so stifled. He was going into heat.

He began to panic because it was a week early so he hadn’t been taking his suppressants as regular as he should have been. Fuck. That meant he’d have a nice three day torturous session of fucking himself until he cried but he’d never really be satisfied until he got a knot and made a bond with an alpha.

Niall had had sex plenty of times before with guys but never an alpha and he’d never been knotted since his heat came like clockwork every third week and he could bypass it with his pills. Guess his clock fucked up.

He tried to pay attention to his professor drone on and on about something he never actually paid attention to anyway but his mind was becoming hazy with urgency. His hole began to moisten as beads of sweat started to roll down the back of his neck and dampen the collar which was bad because the more he sweat the more his scent would build. His pheromones would permeate the room quickly but he tried to force it down. Wait until he could get out of there.

There was a voice from somewhere to his right, “Who’s going into heat? I can smell it.”

All eyes whipped to where the person asked and then about twenty noses went up into the air, including the professor. Then all eyes looked at him.

The person who asked the question, an alpha named Josh, smirked at him, “Hey hot stuff, you want a knot baby?”

Niall almost whimpered cause yes, yes he did. Fuck! Josh was hot too so that didn’t help. Also didn’t help he could smell the alpha waves of scent and dominance taking over his brain telling him to yes, get his knot.

The professor, a bonded alpha so Niall was nothing to want, growled loud, “Don’t you dare Devine. Horan, go take care of yourself. You’re excused.”

Niall thanked him with a shaky voice and felt his hole squelch out a glob of his slick and he bit his lip because the rub of his jeans against his dick-now hard and pressed to his hip-and his shirt rubbing against his nipples was intensifying with each movement. He had a good ten minute walk across the quad before he even reached the building and thankfully there was an elevator so no more moving.

The five minutes it took to get to his floor was hell, absolute blissful hell. His skin was red like he had run a marathon and his body shook with each step, knees trembling and limbs quivering, his hole slick and slippery causing his underwear to become damp and heavy in his jeans. He felt disgusting for sure but above all he was fucking horny.

Not just like ‘oh I’m a young guy horny’ no, more like a ‘fucking omega needs a fat knot and a huge cock over and over and over’ kinda horny. That primal urge that nature just so happen to bless him with coming out. It physically hurt an omega when they went into heat and their needs weren’t satisfied, not at first but it soon would.

They’d fuck themselves with anything big enough to replicate a knot but unless it was the real thing, it’d never suffice. He had heard of an omega actually throwing themselves off a building because it hurt that bad. He hoped to never get to that point.

But in his gut it was twisting and squeezing horribly, he’d had stomach cramps before and he wondered if this was how women felt when on their period. He’d never underestimate them again. Leaning against the wall he had to brace himself, take deep breaths because he had about twenty or so paces before he could get to his room, hopefully take some of his pills to wear down his heat and maybe fuck himself until he couldn’t move.

Yeah, that’s a good idea.

It wasn’t a good idea to keep his palm flat on the wall and walk because the textured wallpaper sent tingles of ecstasy through his body and up his arm, he nearly fell at that point but steeled himself to keep going. There was another twist in his gut, his primal instincts screaming at him to do something. He put his back against the wall across from his door, he was almost there.

He was just about to reach to move when his skin flushed with heat that went from his now sweat soaked hair down to his toes and his knees actually buckled-the bad one wasn’t able to stand a chance-and he slid down to the floor, full back and bum pressed against that wallpaper.

It felt good but it didn’t. The pleasure felt good but the increasing need to heighten that and not being able to felt horrible, like slices to his skin. He moaned then let out a pathetic cry as he braced his body and hung his head, completely defeated looking on the floor.

He heard a door open and a low voice that made him shiver and whine a little, “Niall?”

He looked up exasperated, there was Zayn looking like he had just woken up. The faint stench of weed and beer coming from his room but also in Niall’s hyperaware state, he could smell his alpha pheremones. The scent he gave off so thick that it made him dizzy.

“You alright?” He moved forward quickly but Niall pushed him away.

“Fuck. Off.” He said tiredly because here was Zayn, beautiful as always and his alpha so strong and every inch of Niall was hollering for his body, his cock, his knot he knew was lying beneath his sweat pants.

“Come on, let me help you.” Zayn grabbed both of Niall’s biceps trying to lift him. He hissed and moaned at the same time as long fingers gripped him making him sparkle internally and his hole to squeeze in want.

“No! Leave me the fuck…fuck alone!” He tried to sound firm but it was difficult because he was breaking inside due to this fucking heat.

“Niall, please. You’re in heat, let me help you.” He tried to grab Niall again but the blond was strong enough and pushed down his incessant need, to stand on shaky knees pushing Zayn so that he fell onto his ass on the floor looking up with disbelief.

He made it to his doorknob and was turning it when Zayn spoke up again, “Niall come on, don’t be like this.”

That does it.

He only turned his head, his urge from the heat mixing with the anger because as bad as he wanted Zayn to “help” him, he didn’t want it. All the past months of him being a horrible neighbor and human being flooded his brain and the dam broke, his mouth spewing all he thought.

“Like what Malik? What? Denying you? Poor pathetic omega is just supposed to give in to you when he gets a heat? Fuck off. You’re nothing but a selfish moron who does nothing for anyone but himself and you could give a fuck less about helping me, you just want a hole to fuck. Piss off and die, do us all a favor.” He let out in what could be considered a snapping growl.

Zayn looked at him like he’d been punched straight through the chest.

Niall stumbled into his room, ripped his clothes off and proceeded to almost fist himself and cum multiple times but it only took the edge off. He scrambled around and found a few spare suppressants gratefully gulping them down and he hoped that with his heat in full blown swing that they could help him get over this. If not…well he didn’t know what he’d do.

XXXX

Two hours. It’d been two hours since he had had his interaction with that asshole Zayn and took his pills and nothing was happening, he got worse. He just stayed still on his bed, drenched in sweat, his ass producing slick like a factory and every breath was labored because it hurt. He understood the pain spoken of when an omega gets a heat like this.

All he could do was cry because of the pain. Fat sobs because his internal urges were on overdrive, every single trail of sweat, squelch of slick, breeze from his fan felt like that one step right before the release of an orgasm but fell short. His body was sticky with his cum that he couldn’t even produce for the last hour, his dick practically purple and throbbing, all seven inches with his inflamed foreskin twitching.

He wondered what would happen to him, how he was supposed to go through this for days now with no help or relief in sight. He continued to cry while his eyes stung and every last inch of his body he wanted to rip apart to feel something, anything at this point.

He heard his door open, “Niall?”

Fucking Zayn.

“Get…get out.” He weakly said through his crying, they had begun to subside slightly, his body probably so overloaded with everything else that it didn’t know how to cry anymore.

“No Niall, you’ve been crying for two hours. I-I can’t take it anymore. It’s killing me.”

Niall barely opened his eyes to see his neighbor standing in the same outfit he had worn before and with a very large bulge in his sweats. This asshole. And speaking of assholes, there goes Niall’s wanting Zayn’s knot, some more slick squeezed out. He’d need a new mattress probably.

“You? You have no idea what I’m fucking going through.” He countered with gritted teeth. Zayn’s scent was wafting off him in waves and catching in Niall’s fan so that it was now flushing over his entire body, filling his nostrils making his dick angry looking and painful. His balls were tight to his body.

“Niall. Listen. Now.” He barked out. Niall whimpered. That was an alpha’s command and an omega, especially one in heat, cannot resist that.

The lad in heat only nodded as Zayn came to kneel by the bed and be near his soaked and flushed chest. He could only barely turn his head, the soggy fabric of his pillow case sending waves of delight down his neck.

“I’m sorry, It’s not what you think, the only reason I wanted to help you is well, because I really like you Ni. Always have, ever since you moved in here next to me at the beginning of the year.”

Niall scoffed at him and bit his lip, a fresh wave of heat scanning his body, the fan blowing Zayn’s scent directly onto his face. Musky, smoky and alpha.

“It’s true. I know I seem like a dick-“

“You are a dick.”

“Niall.” He commanded again. Niall stay silent and dying inside.

“The only reason I ever did any of that shit to piss you off was well, to see you. That’s the only way I could think of to get you to come over to my room.”

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me! It’s called saying hello! Fucking invite me out somewhere! No, waking me up at three am is really the fucking way to my heart.”

Zayn’s head went down like a reprimanded child. Niall watched and his heart tugged, he was being honest. Rather fucked up way of getting Niall’s attention and what sucked even worse was that it worked.

“Ni, please. Let me help you. I really like you and it’s breaking my heart hearing you cry and seeing you like this. And I-I can’t resist you. You smell too good, you smell perfect actually. Please, let me make it feel better. I promise I’ll make it go away.” Zayn pleaded out and took one of Niall’s hands into his own. The blond let out a high sob at the touch.

Niall couldn’t resist. An alpha apologizing wasn’t exactly unheard of but when it happened it meant something and here was this beautiful man and Niall needed to be knotted and bonded or he was going to shrivel away in dehydration and blue balls. He gulped and tasted, tasted, Zayn in the air.

“O-okay.”

He took deep breaths and turned to see Zayn standing up and removing his clothes, he saw Zayn’s cock, fucking log more like it, bounce out from the waistband of sweats then hang between his thighs, enormous balls flanking the side and the beginning swelling of his knot ever so present. Niall whined.

“Zayn.” It was but a whisper.

The darker man crawled onto the bed and there was a definite squish with each movement-yeah, new mattress asap-and then carefully split Niall’s legs and propped his feet on either side of him. Examining his hole he saw it was glistening , the rim was outwardly swollen looking like a rosebud and dark in color. He barely touched the rim with his fingers and Niall let out a scream.

Zayn pulled away and Niall’s eyes looked dead at him, “No, p-please no teasing. Just k-knot me. You can do that when it ha-happens again but please just gimme your knot. I’m dying!” He cried out.

“Okay, m’sorry. Gonna make it feel all better babe, all better.” He said soothingly as he gripped the shaft of his dick, eight inches long but he couldn’t wrap his hand around it, neither could Niall if he wanted to, the circumcised tip olive and pink with a large slit ready to pour out the fluid that Niall so desperately needed.

He pushed the head into the vacuum of Niall and sank in with one push all the way to the hilt, the base of his knot being swallowed with ease. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as his tremendous cock was soaked in sweet slick and intense heat and pressure. If Zayn’s dick was coal, Niall’s ass could make it a diamond.

“Yessssss.” Niall hissed out and gripped onto Zayn’s sharp shoulders, “Fuck me.”

Zayn obeyed and proceeded to thrust in and out of his new omega, not bonded but he was his as soon as he commanded Niall to listen. The loud watery sounds of the mattress coupled with the squeaking of Niall’s hole, his body finally calming down because there was an alpha to take care of him now. The two moaned and cursed as Zayn plowed into him, the stretch of his rim conforming to take Zayn’s knot that pulsed in acquisition.

Niall came two times without a single touch, it hurt but the pain wasn’t as bad as before, now with Zayn inside him it was as if his body was telling him he could without consequences. His dick spewed forth three salty splashes straight up to paint Zayn’s abs then drip off him onto Niall’s already soaking body and the second only dribbled out pathetically onto his pubes.

Zayn fell forward so his face was buried into Niall’s shoulder, the scent of pheromones making his head go blank with only the requirement of knotting his mate, he inhaled deeply feeling the omega throb between their cum drenched torsos, he shallowed his thrusts so that only his swell was going in and out of his rim.

“Zayn, p-please.” Niall let out in a breath and Zayn pushed his swell inside then rolled his hips, the heat and sopping around the thin skin of his knot making his orgasm finally release and the base of his cock exploded in two seconds flat, widening up Niall’s tender tunnel to astronomical limits. He came again between their bodies, no cum, just his slit opening and closing and that orgasm was perfect. Didn’t hurt once, it was the completion of what was to happen next.

Zayn growled as his knot popped and his cum began to pour into his omega, his slit a constant dumping hole into the tender passageway, he latched onto Niall’s bottom lip and bit down making Niall whimper and his back arched into the bond being made.

His body shook while his juices steadily streamed into Niall who seemed at peace, completely boneless and almost angelic looking with flushed cheeks and damp skin but beautiful to Zayn, his bonded alpha.

Niall’s eyes opened to be met with hazel ones that knew him now. Those eyes were his and his alone. Their dynamics changed as the bond was formed while Zayn’s thick member was spewing forth creamy load after load like someone was pouring out a jug, those massive balls of his pushing more than enough seed to maybe impregnate his omega.

Twenty minutes later he softened and slipped out of Niall, most of his sperm just spilling from his ass and soaking the mattress even more. Niall with a swollen bottom lip but an urge finally fulfilled turned his head over to see Zayn smiling softly at him on the bed, “Hi.”

“Hey.” Zayn replied rubbing his knuckles across Niall’s cheek, the omega leaned into the touch.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” He brought their lips together in something intimate, their first kiss as a pair. Zayn made sure not to press too hard to the fresh wound on his mouth.

Pulling away Niall spoke sleepily, “Why did you never just ask me out or something? I would’ve said yes you know.”

Zayn shrugged, “I don’t know, I’ve never been good with the whole dating thing. I can get people to notice me but that’s about it.”

“Well enough of it okay? You’ve got me now. I notice you.”

Zayn smiled wide at that and kissed him a bit harder but Niall didn’t care about that twinge of pain, anything was better than before Zayn had given him his biggest relief.

XXXX

Three am rolls around and so does a grumbling Niall. Turning on his bed-new mattress by the way-he can hear that fucking stereo coming from next door.

It’s like Niall can’t ever sleep anymore, he swears it.

On autopilot he opened the door to his own room, walked three paces to the right and banged hard on Zayn’s door, the wood violently shaking in the frame. Niall still didn’t know how people could ignore Zayn or Niall doing this.

The entranceway swung open and there was a shit eating grin on Zayn’s face, “Hi babe!”

“Zee, come on, it’s-“ He stopped because there was no smell of pot or booze and not a single person in his room. Zayn held the remote in his hand and clicked the stereo off.

“Just wanted to get you to come over.” Zayn shrugged.

“By that? You can just come get me or sleep in mine you know?” Niall rubbed his eyes but couldn’t help the faint smile that graced his features, the barely there but ever present scar on his bottom lip the mark of their bond. Months into this and Zayn would still pull this shit.

“I like it when you notice me.” He pulled in Niall by the scruff of his shirt and smashed their lips together sticking his tongue deep into his mouth. They heatedly snogged with Zayn’s hand dragging down Niall’s smooth backside then cupping his small bum, Niall let out a (very manly) squeak in his arms and tried to push away but the taller kept him firmly wrapped in his thin arms.

“You are such a dick.” Niall chuckled out.

“Yeah” Zayn leaned in and pecked his lips, “but I’m yours.”

Niall kicked the door closed behind him as the two tumbled into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall and Zayn have been together for a while now. There might be a baby, there might not be.

It was senior year and of course everyone graduating was running around hooked on espresso, Red Bull and popping adderall like they were Smartees because this was it, finals, everything you’ve worked for the past three or four years was finally coming to an all abrupt crescendo. Once this was done you were thrust into the “real” world, as so many of their professors and parents had reiterated multiple times, with a pretty piece of paper saying you made something of yourself.

Niall was no different.

He was a constant blur going back and forth from the library on campus and his dorm room, only ever sitting down to eat for maybe twenty minutes in the cafeteria if he had time but most of his meals were eaten in his room as he poured over his textbooks and notes he had taken for the past three years.

Thankfully being in the culinary department he could sneak bites of food-he had to if he wanted to know what he was cooking tasted right anyway-so the older boy was usually okay with a quick microwave burrito at his desk in his room which is where he was firmly planted for the past three hours.

The twenty two year old had his glasses perched on his nose as his eyes ran miles across his books and papers, the finals for his business management and production classes were fast approaching before the holiday break and so was one of his culinary finals, the dessert finals at that. His blond hair was tucked under a beanie and he didn’t look up at hearing a faint knock to his door and grunting to let the person know they were free to enter. He knew who it was anyway.

“Hello love, still busy at it?” Came Zayn’s voice. Still his neighbor, still his boyfriend, still his bonded alpha after three years now, their anniversary coming quickly.

Niall grunted again not looking up as he highlighted a business proposal he would try once he got out of here and how to work with banks for loans and all that entailed-it was his dream to own his own restaurant someday.

He felt familiar hands soothe his aching shoulders where they’d been hunched over his desk and his head fell forward feeling the tension he hadn’t realized built up slowly melt from his traps and rhomboids. Zayn dug his thumbs into a particularly rough patch and Niall moaned deeply at the twinge of pain but release of pressure to it.

“Come on babe, take a break.” Zayn said softly to him and placed a kiss to Niall’s bare neck still bent downwards leaving his slightly darker flesh open to the air. Niall came back with a tan most Irishmen couldn’t get if they tried after his summer holiday with Louis in Italy for a few weeks.

“I can’t Zee, I have to worry about preparing a crème brulee, blueberry tart and baked Alaska. Also this business plan I need to present to the board of my department in hopes they’ll approve it so I can use it when I get outta here. You know this is important to me.” Niall said almost pathetically because he was stressed, no doubt about it and he was exhausted and the pressure to get everything done in three months before December was weighing on him heavily.

Zayn leant down and pulled Niall back in his rolling chair, spun him around then dropped to rest his elbows on his boyfriend’s knees, “I know it is but you’re gonna burn out soon babe. We’ve been back for a month and you’re never out of this room for more than an hour or two. Call me selfish but I’d like to spend some time with my Nialler.” He smirked brushing his fallen fringe to one side.

Niall softened at that because it was true, over the summer holiday they barely got to see each other, physically anyway, Zayn of course went back to Bradford to visit his family where Niall went to Italy with Louis for a while and then back to Ireland. They talked nearly every day over the phone and Skyped when available but nothing could compare to them physically being in the same room.

When they both arrived at their respective dorms, their home away from home, the two slammed together and proceeded to get more than ten people banging on their doors to quiet down their rompous love making. But that only lasted for a week or so and now it was simply in passing or a few short hours with Zayn doodling on Niall’s bed while his omega studied religiously.

“Ni, gimme a cuddle. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to sleep for almost four months without you beside me? It’s torture.” Zayn pouted and Niall was done for.

That was another thing. They hadn’t actually slept next to one another besides that first week because Niall was up until all hours of the morning studying-at one point he didn’t sleep for three days straight-and Zayn had to be up early to his AP English class most days.

Niall deflated, “Yeah, need a break anyway. My eyes are killing me reading this fine print in these books man.”

He let Zayn pull him gently towards the bed and the two were soon curled around one another, Niall’s now bare head safely planted on Zayn’s chest, the darker one grazing his nails between Niall’s fingers on his abdomen. He let out a sigh of contentment because it’d been way too long for his liking-especially as an alpha-that he hadn’t his omega near him, protecting him and taking care of him.

“Zee, why aren’t you all stressed out like the rest of us? I mean you must have loads of work to do right?”

The alpha shrugged and shivered slightly when Niall’s hair brushed over his exposed shoulder in his beater, “Not really. English and art are easy for me and since they’re my majors I’m not really stressing. Half my portfolio is completed and I have the other half already started. If I planned it right, I’ll be done everything I need to do before the end finals by spring time.”

And it was true. Zayn could pull the grades from thin air with barely any effort on his part which is why Niall had found out that he was so lax their years there. That’s why Zayn seemed to have a constant party going and not much else, because he was fast and could do his work in record time leaving him loads of time to kill. Thankfully those three am wakeup calls to be “noticed” had stopped promptly before they came back for their final year because Niall had said he’d make sure Zayn wouldn’t have a knot to plug him with. Zayn’s eyes widened at the omega’s decree and the partying ceased.

“Christ, wish I could do that. I have so much to do and study up for, no idea how I’ll do it.” Niall muttered dejectedly into Zayn’s chest then nuzzled his face into the light muscle there. His alpha scent so pungent on him mixed with tobacco and a bit of weed and just Zayn. Niall’s Zayn. That scent that belonged to him.

Zayn pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head, “Babe listen to me, you know this stuff in your sleep. And I know that for a fact cause last year you mumbled a lot, talking about figures and measurements, not sure which class you were going on about but you’ve got this. Chill out alright? I don’t like seeing my baby so stressed.”

Niall blushed because he knew he mumbled and hoped that his majors were the only things he uttered in his sleep. Other dreams weren’t so pg. He nodded his head and yawned, “Zee? Mind if I snooze for a bit?”

The alpha tapped his chest, “Be my guest babe.”

Niall curled into Zayn’s embrace a bit more throwing his leg over the man’s waist and within minutes he was softly snoring as Zayn brushed his hands through blond locks of hair that smelled like book dust and much needed sleep.

XXXX

After Zayn had forced Niall to remove himself from his room more than just to eat or stretch his legs they fell back into their normal rhythm. Of course everyone was still worried about the finals and all but with their group of friends-shortly after Zayn and Niall bonded, the alpha was welcomed into open arms, lastly by Liam since he was a bit wary but he won over the small group and since they were bonded they really had no choice anyway.

The group of five would go out to the pub to get a much deserved pint or shot of something or they’d lounge in one of their dorms playing video games while the others would catch up on late papers or the like, it was simple and harmonious and the week before finals and winter holiday approached was when they were all camped out in Liam’s room with Liam on his bed, the two bonded couples were cuddled on his small couch as they all watched movies.

“So what are you guys doing this year for Christmas?” He piped up as the end credits to It’s A Wonderful Life started.

Louis spoke first, “Harry’s coming to Doncaster with me this year, my mum and sisters are wicked excited!” He nuzzled his face into Harry’s curls.

“Back to Mullingar o’course, can’t miss me mum’s pudding and that. It’ll feel good to get outta here and not have to worry about classes and shit.” Niall shrugged because it was true. Being so overwhelmed for almost four months because of the upcoming tests took its toll out on him as did with everyone else. Louis wasn’t able to keep a conversation for more than five minutes, Harry had started tugging on his hair so often it started to straighten and Liam had lost at least ten pounds. Zayn of course was cool and collected and he somehow transferred that onto Niall as the weeks progressed up until now of which he was eternally grateful.

Liam looked at Zayn, “What about you mate? Got any plans?”

Zayn shrugged, “Nah, we don’t celebrate Christmas anyway. My family is taking a holiday to somewhere in the Carribean and they won’t be back until way after term starts again so it’s either stay alone in Bradford or stay alone here.”

Niall didn’t know that.

They of course had talked to each other’s families and met them before since they had bonded, can’t be together three years without them meeting their respective families of course. Zayn met Niall’s family the first summer after they bonded and was met with wide smiles and thick accents and lots and lots and lots of food and beer, easily welcomed into their household, he got along famously with Niall’s brother Greg who filled in the alpha all about his omega’s childhood much to the embarrassment of a blushing Niall.

Niall met Zayn’s family the following Christmas during their winter break, they had even gotten a small tree just for him since he did celebrate the holiday, all twinkling lights and red glass balls. The Malik’s were so taken aback that Niall had somehow secretly bought them all at least two gifts (“Just cause you don’t celebrate it doesn’t mean I can’t give you lot some pressies yeah?”)

Niall was golden after that to Zayn’s family. Both the Horan’s and Malik’s declared that the two had made the right decision in their pairing even though neither parties knew exactly how it had come about. That was something only the five lads in the room knew about.

Niall turned to him, “You’re coming home with me then. I’ll tell me folks you’re coming, they’ve been begging to see you again anyway. Want to make sure you’re still treating me right.” He nudged his chest with a shoulder playfully.

Zayn looked almost alarmed, “I have haven’t I?”

Niall giggled, “Of course love, only teasing. You’re coming home with me then. Proper Irish Christmas for you.”

Zayn pulled him into a soft kiss that had two people fake gagging and Liam rolling his eyes.

“What about you Li?” Niall asked ignoring the other couple mocking them on the other side of the sofa, who were they to talk honestly? Louis and Harry were sickly cute together, all PDA and declarations of love every five minutes. Zayn and Niall were almost strangers compared to how those two acted together.

“Well uh…um.” He stuttered out and a slight bit of red dusted his cheeks.

Zayn raised an eyebrow, “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Eleanor would it?”

Liam looked frightened with his bushy eyebrows raising up to his brow, “Zayn!”

Those two had a rocky start in the beginning since Niall had confided for almost a year how much of pain his now mate was but once Liam warmed up to him they became close quickly. Zayn was closer with Liam than anyone else in their group besides his omega.

“Ooh, Eleanor you say? That lovely girl in your physics class Li?” Louis looked devilish and Harry leaned forward looking expectant to hear the details.

Liam huffed out a defeated sigh, “Yes, that one. Well she uh, she asked me if I’d like to spend the holiday with her if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. Her parents are doing the same thing Zayn’s are and she doesn’t want to be stuck here the whole time, her parents place is only a few hours away and…”

Louis leapt off the couch and straight into Liam’s lap-Harry made a quiet snarl for no reason other than instinct-as the omega straddled the beta, “Liam’s got a girlfriend! And you didn’t even tell us!”

“She’s not my girlfriend! Just someone I’m seeing alright!” He tried to counter but Louis was practically howling on top of him.

“Mate, she’s asking you to stay with her the entire break alone in her parent’s house, that’s serious.” Zayn offered making Liam blush and there was a definite grin there. Niall snickered as Louis continued his beration into Liam who had dared not tell them about the girl he had been seeing. Harry sat a little rigid watching his omega straddle their friend until Louis slinked off him and crawled dutifully back into the curly haired man’s lap.

“Alright, alright. So it’s kinda serious. We’ve uh, we’ve been talking since before summer break and I just, I really like her.” Liam said earnestly. Zayn admitted that Liam had already confessed to him about this getting the most indignant sound from Louis and him asking why they weren’t informed.

Liam told them he didn’t want to say anything since Harry would try to be Cupid and Louis would more than likely embarrass him. He got tackled again by Louis and Harry this time demanding that he reveal all the details-even the filthy ones-at this instant. As the three made the bed groan under their combined weight Zayn pulled Niall’s face back towards his own, “So you’re sure you want me to come with you? I don’t mind staying in Bradford by myself.”

Niall rolled his eyes, “Zayn Malik, you’re coming to Ireland for Christmas with me and that’s that.”

Zayn smiled and nodded agreeing. Their little world was shattered with two heavy thumps of human onto the floor and Liam with half his shirt ripped open, “Yes alright! We’ve had sex!”

The two on the couch laughed as Harry and Louis high fived from the floor saying it was a success and they were happy their precious Liam was finally getting some good tail.

XXXX

Finals were done and it was three days before their trip to Ireland, a quick hour flight to Dublin and then a two hour train to Mullingar, easy as pie and much looked forward to by both of them. It was almost as if the entire school, buildings and all, took a collected exhale of breath since the testing was finished and now everyone was packing up for their holidays and saying their goodbyes and exchanging gifts and what not.

Zayn was busy in the art department compiling more of his work into his portfolio-his professors had said he could very well have his own work in museums and galleries, Niall was more than proud-and the blond was waiting for him in the cafeteria where they were supposed to have a lunch date then relax the next few days before leaving. Louis and Harry had already bolted the day after finals were done and Liam could be seen not so subtle walking around campus with a constant grin on his face, cheeks pink and his gloved hand linked with that of one Eleanor Calder, total brainiac but ultimately sweet girl. Niall condoned that relationship because Liam deserved someone like her.

He walked into the large room filled with less than normal amounts of people idling about with hot chocolate and coffee when he realized how very warm it was in there which made sense since it was winter but in here it was chokingly hot. He unwrapped his scarf and pulled off his beanie feeling some slight relief but not too much.

Making his way to one of the more intimate areas of dining which was technically the lounge area, he settled in the large leather sofa with the table in front of it to wait for Zayn and he decided to play a game of Fruit Ninja on his phone while he waited.

It was ten minutes in when there was a text from the lad he was waiting for.

Hey love! Sorry! I’ll be there in like 20, was talking to the prof about some connects she has with galleries in the city! I’ll tell you all about it when I get there! MWAH! Xoxo- Zeebee

He chortled at the excited text knowing that Zayn was probably brimming and his eyes were squinted as he texted furiously, it was honestly one of Niall’s favorite expressions. When Zayn got so elated at something he resembled Liam which was weird that they had the same “excited” face, eyes barely there, deep lines around those eyes and you could practically see their wisdom teeth with how wide they grinned.

He unzipped his hoodie because a fresh wave of heat bathed from the top of his head to his ankles and how fucking high was this thermostat? He looked around and saw the sparing few people still sort of bundled, there was no snow and winter had only really started to settle in so the heavy parkas and thick coats weren’t brought out as regularly as they would in January or February so why was he so hot?

Then he felt a wave of something else. A wave of urgency. Of lust and desire. Fuck.

He scrambled his brain while it was still sort of coherent to when he had last taken his suppressants and it was no surprise that he of course forgotten to take them during finals week, his brain so focused on studying and passing those tests that anything pertaining to his natural cycles was completely forgotten. That meant he was to have a heat cycle and a big one.

He knew that his cycles happened every third week of the month, same time every time. This wasn’t news. Only twice had he conveniently forgotten to take those suppressants and went into a heat cycle in the three years him and Zayn had been together. This time wasn’t convenient though. Zayn was nowhere around and Niall was becoming paralyzed with the primal instinct to be fucked, to be spread wide on a knot and filled with semen, his body telling him to be filled and possibly mated.

He thought of Zayn’s cock because he had no control now and the whoosh of lust made him whimper and his hole moisten and he knew that his scent was getting stronger, like the first time his heat hit unexpectedly and everyone around him could smell it easily. Now in the warm fabricated air his pheromones would waft around faster than usual alerting everyone that an omega was going into heat.

Now this wouldn’t be a problem since he had already bonded with Zayn and that altered his scent of course but some alpha’s didn’t care, they enjoyed tainting an omega or claiming them as his, defiling what was supposed to be sacred to their kind. Some people just sucked really.

Niall gulped, begging for cooler air as he pulled off his hoodie and shook his arms out to maybe make some air move around his skin that was quickly heating up, not such a good idea when you start to sweat because then the pheromones are concentrated and will quickly permeate the air even faster. He didn’t think of those consequences, was just trying to get some relief, anything until Zayn got there to take care of him. He should be there any minute.

“Fuck Zayn, come on baby. Please hurry.” Niall whispered to himself with his head now braced in his hands. He felt another surge of want rush through his veins and make his brain fuzzy. He had to alert Zayn now because he was out in the open with no one to protect him. Niall wasn’t a wimp at all, not even close, but an omega going into heat was almost powerless. A drawback in nature’s design.

He quickly pulled his phone out and hastily texted to him as his hole continued to moisten and puff up at the sheer thought of his alpha.

Z I’m going into heat. Get here!!!! –Ni

The screen faded black after saying the text had sent and he took a few deep breaths to try and steady his ever increasing libido, he dare not move because with his skin so sensitive now it would definitely make him moan and in the cavernous like room with the thirty foot high ceilings it would echo. He resumed his position with his head held in his hands waiting.

The smell hit him before the voice did. An alpha’s smell and not his own.

“Well I see someone’s in heat.” Came a deep voice, much deeper than normal, an alpha trying to stake a claim. Niall’s body shivered because even as a bonded omega he was still slightly vulnerable, the only time a bonded omega would ever let an alpha knot him would be if his previous alpha wasn’t there in time and when the animalistic urge drove them to it. Not that he would ever want to cheat on Zayn-that was the love of his life, bond or not-but instinct can outweigh human emotion and thought.

He raised his head knowing who it was. It was Josh.

Ever since that first time Niall went into heat in class three years ago Josh had been on the outskirts of Niall’s life, always hitting on him and dropping hints of how he wanted to bond with Niall, claim him as his. This never worked because one, Niall was faithful to Zayn and loved him more than life itself and two, he hadn’t gone into a heat since then without Zayn to help relieve it.

But now…Zayn wasn’t here and his body was reacting to someone other than his alpha. Another one.

“Josh, please don’t.” He begged him with a shy voice. He hated that being an omega and in his state made him sound so demure and easily achieved, Niall was neither of those.

“Mmm, love it when you beg baby. Always has turned me on. Come on, what’s Zayn got that I don’t eh?” Josh leaned forward and Niall was hit with a wall of his scent, the powerful pheromones of an alpha on the prowl, he felt his hole moisten and fuck, his hole pulsed making a small dark spot into his jeans where the slick pushed out, his cock throbbed to full length in less than seconds.

“My-my heart Josh. He has that.” Niall tried to sound firm but with Josh invading his space he was getting confused, he loved Zayn, of course he did but here was Josh, all brute muscle and yeah, he was attractive and Niall was internally screaming to be filled, the borderline of his heart, mind and instinct now becoming muddled.

Josh bent down and placed two meaty arms on the side of Niall’s head as the blond leaned back, he saw Josh’s bulge in his sweatpants and holy fuck, so big, he whimpered and bit his lip seeing something that could fill him so well and his nostrils were filled with Josh. Just Josh.

Josh took a deep whiff, “Bonded or not I can tell you want it. Come on Ni, don’t lie. How about we sneak off somewhere and I’ll give you something I’ve been dying to for years?” He licked a stripe up Niall’s throat making the Irishman moan because the heat of his skin mixed with the roughness of Josh’s tongue and also the firm press of his cock to Niall’s thigh made his eyes roll back. He didn’t want this but he did…

“How about I rip your fucking throat out mate?” Came an incredibly deep snarl.

Niall opened his eyes to see Zayn’s hand firmly clamped into Josh’s shoulder and pulling him back up to where the two were eye to eye. He saw Eleanor and Liam both flanking him with a deep scowl on both their faces and Zayn’s hand still dug into Josh’s shoulder.

“Reinforcements? Really? Can’t protect Niall all by yourself? What an excuse for an alpha.” He scoffed getting Zayn’s eyes to burn with an intensity Niall had never seen. All he saw after that was Josh crumbling to the floor with Zayn’s hand flexed, knuckles white into the meat of his shoulder and his alpha hovering above him. Alpha’s are already naturally stronger than most but jeopardize their omega’s well…they were almost superhuman. Zayn was using that to his advantage.

“I can protect him all I want by myself, I brought them so you know there’s more than just me.” He gave the crippled alpha in a deadly whisper, “Think of, see or touch my mate again and I promise you, you will be getting that diploma in a wheelchair. You got me?”

He gave another squeeze to Josh’s shoulder and the man let out a whine of protest. Zayn released him and Niall was terrified, he’d never seen Zayn like that. Ever. Not even when he had originally met Harry the alpha and Liam the beta, knew of his and Liam’s past relationship as sleeping buddies and all that. Zayn looked almost feral.

But his eyes softened as Josh held his shoulder with his one hand and kept his eyes down at Liam’s bulking figure and Eleanor glaring at him and stalked away. He quickly grabbed Niall’s hoodie, hat and scarf pulling him in close to stand and be embraced, Niall inhaled his alpha’s sent and a fresh wave of want flooded his blood. His knees buckled but Zayn was there to hold him up. Only so they could hear, “You okay baby? He didn’t hurt you right?”

“N-no. M’fine. Zee, please.” Niall said so tiredly because finally he was safe. Zayn was here and everything was okay.

They quickly ushered Niall back to Zayn’s room with the help of Liam on one side and Zayn on the other, Eleanor holding open the doors and soon enough they were secure. The beta couple promptly left as Zayn was stripping Niall and cooing to him, “Love, you didn’t take your pills?”

“I’m so-sorry, I forgot. Fi-finals. Please do-don’t be mad.” Niall stuttered because every brush of fabric against him, the feel of Zayn surrounding him and his hole just leaking left him almost incoherent to everything that was happening.

“Shh, shh babe. Don’t be sorry. M’just glad I got there. Scared me, someone taking you from me.” Zayn said lightly as he kissed the insides of Niall’s bare thighs, his hole so pink and puffed out that he needed something to invade him, needed it or he’d die.

Zayn slipped two fingers without precedence inside Niall and the blond arched his back with a moan, finally feeling something, a stretch and unlimited bliss that he could only get from Zayn and his well worked fingers. The darker sucked and bit up and down Niall’s thighs as he fingered open his lover, feeling the slick so thick and swish around his digits, he pressed against the lad’s prostate and Niall was cumming, his cock finally getting some relief from what it was tortured with. White sprays catching along his smooth abdomen and his cock twitching, the head swelled as it spewed and his foreskin peeled back to reveal it red and shiny.

“ZAYN!” Niall whimpered out as his seven inch member throbbed and streaked his chest and Zayn’s bed with his splooge, Zayn kissed his cock then up his chest and sucked on one nipple milking his orgasm from him. The violent clamps down on his fingers letting him know that he wasn’t done, he needed more. Zayn would give him more.

Zayn’s body had defined in the years together as had Niall’s, they were cut from stone with their muscles, where Zayn was still rail thin but chiseled there was Niall, wider but just as fastened and together they fit, their abs locked and their chests smoothed against one another with the slight sheen of sweat and Niall’s cum making them slide.

“Zayn, need it.” Niall said breathily feeling Zayn’s cock solid pressing against his own, that thick slab of meat ready to split him wide and he felt it pulse against his body at his urging. Zayn slipped his fingers out and sat up to smear the slick around his uncovered tip, it was rigid and the veins that marred its surface were fat and filled.

Niall spread his legs wide and lifted up his bum slightly, moaning at the feeling of Zayn pressing the tip of his dick to the inflamed entrance. Zayn sunk in, his eight inch behemoth spreading the rim wide, that amazing heat soaking into his cock while Niall’s back arched off the bed and his thin legs wrapped around Zayn’s waist pulling him in closer. The swell of Zayn’s knot was knocking against the rim as were his fuzzy balls that swung heavy and filled with semen.

“Fuck me.” Niall commanded with his eyes almost black. Zayn nodded as he began to thrust into his omega, the squelch of his slick was turning him on to new levels as he fucked into the man harder, his cock was spearing him open as he grunted. The tight fit of those walls encompassed his shaft and his head was throbbing in the tunnel, Niall’s ass was squeezing Zayn inside, the sensitive nerves inside him firing off all at once as Zayn pounded into him making the bed knock against the wall.

“UNGH!” Niall moaned out arching up again as he came, his prostate and walls being bombarded by the thick cock inside him and Zayn fucked him through his orgasm like he had done before, elevating the pleasure of it as his walls held tight to the cock pushing him over the edge. Spurts of white shot from his slit to join the puddles before and it mixed with the sweat now dripping from Zayn’s shaking form.

“Fuck Ni, gonna bust.” He whispered because his voice was of no use right now, he had no control and no thought really as he fucked his mate, the tight squeeze around his shaft and head making him see white and feel like he was on fire, blissful fire. Zayn slowed and gently pushed the swell of his knot into Niall.

The Irishman came again feeling that stretch increase to his battered rim, the skin there easily allowing it to slip inside and rest against his sweet spot, his cock dribbling out clear liquid and his body went rigid in ecstasy as Zayn started to roll his hips slightly, only his knot pulling on the rim from inside him. Zayn dropped down to give his arms a break and buried his face into Niall’s shoulder, his nails gripping pale sides as he started to release.

He made a throaty rumbling sound as his orgasm was closing in, his cock buried in the slick heat of Niall and with a few small thrusts he was done for, the swell of his knot finally expanding to the size of a baseball and stretching Niall’s tunnel out even more. The omega came a fourth time at the stretch and finally the edge was worn down, his arms clamped around Zayn’s neck as the alpha started to pour into him, waves of cum flooding the tunnel he had claimed.

“Yes Zayn, oh god!” Niall moaned out feeling the cock inside him swell and dump out load after load, could feel it each time it pulsed and more cum shot from his slit. Zayn was shaking on top of Niall as his thrusting became more frantic, only slightly was he pushing in and tugging on Niall’s rim but it was beautiful, the skin of his knot hyper aware of the heat and pressure against it, his orgasm flooding his system and all he knew was Niall in that moment.

With his orgasm still going strong, Zayn propped himself up on his elbows to look down into a very sated face, Niall was smiling sleepily after his string of releases and leaned up to join their lips together, their tongues slowly moving against one another and Niall’s hands running up and down Zayn’s sweaty back as his cock continued to push more sperm into his body.

Resting back he brushed his knuckles through Zayn’s stubble, “So beautiful Zee. So perfect.”

Zayn grinned while his release was slowing down, “You too babe.”

After another ten minutes Zayn’s knot finally shrunk and slipped out with a popping sound, Niall whimpered feeling the fullness of his tunnel, his lower abdomen slightly pushed out and tender. The alpha fell to Niall’s side and breathed deeply, both their chests heaving slightly, his dark eyes went down to see Niall’s cock had gone soft and lay defeated against his hip, the foreskin covering his tip now and his cum cooling on his skin getting back to its normal shade.

“Damn baby, lots more than usual.” Zayn chuckled out and rubbed a hand over where there was a definite swell to his lower stomach, he poked it with his finger feeling it hard under the press.

Niall giggled, “Yeah, lots more. This is weird.” He said mostly to himself.

Zayn’s eyes went back up to see Niall biting his lip with a confused look on his face, “What’s weird? You okay?” His alpha instincts alerted to that maybe his omega wasn’t safe.

“I’m fine love,” Zayn deflated slightly at the confession, “just that I feel better. Like after my heat is done. False alarm or something?”

“Huh… maybe since you were so stressed your cycle got cocked up or something. So you think you’re finished then after knotting you once?”

This was weird. Niall’s heat cycles lasted two to three days and in that span of time he had to be knotted at least ten times a day. But now after just once he was okay? They chalked it up to the pressures of finals and the overdoses of caffeine and all that and now Niall’s body was trying to regulate itself.

“Yeah, oh well. At least we won’t have to be cooped up just before we leave then, think me body’s trying to get back to normal. Don’t you worry, you’ll be knotting me again sooner than you think once me cycle’s back on track.” He playfully pushed his shoulder into Zayn’s but promptly rolled and curled into his chest, Zayn’s arm protectively wrapped round his back.

“I love you for more than just knotting you, you know.” Zayn said into his hair and kissed his head.

“I know but you do love fucking me.”

“This is true.”

XXXX

The last day they spent packing and cleaning their dorms so that when they returned it would be to a ready space because honestly, who wants to come back home after holiday and clean? The entire journey to the airport and flight went like a blur really, it had seemed that as soon as they were taking off that they were landing in Dublin and grabbing their bags from the slow moving carousel with boxes and bags of presents and luggage.

Walking hand in hand through the train station in Ireland it was getting dark and Niall was speaking quickly on the phone to his mother telling them they’d be there within a few hours.

Upon hanging up he huffed, “I swear she gets more mental each year. Told her three times that we’ll be there on time. Greg’s coming to pick us up by the way.”

Zayn chuckled because he loved Niall’s mother and knew of her eccentricity, “She’s a mum love, they all do that. Mine keeps saying sorry I couldn’t come with them down to the tropics and I keep reminding her that I’m with you and I’m fine.”

“Mums.” Niall said as if that one word just summed up the entire institution of motherhood which in all fairness it sort of does. Zayn made a small agreement and the pair sat with Zayn’s arm around Niall’s shoulders as they waited for the train outside on the platform. It was a bit chilly out but as soon as Niall saw the first dusting of snow start to fall he practically dragged Zayn outside.

The two were sitting quietly as Zayn puffed on a cigarette-Niall had become so immune to it he didn’t care anymore-as the snow began to fall softly onto the tracks and on the sides of the station that wasn’t covered by the roof.

Niall sat up and looked around like he was confused to which Zayn pondered, “Ni, you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just…do you hear that?”

Zayn listened and could hear something faint, Niall grabbed his hand and pulled him up to stand and walked towards the end of the platform where there was a definite line of cold cement and snow covered cement and directly above them through the crackling of the speaker was soft Christmas music playing.

Niall began to hum and Zayn being the romantic he was pulled Niall into the falling snow with their bags on the bench and placed one hand in his mates and the other pulled him in by his lower back. Niall looked surprised as Zayn began to sway and turn them slightly, Niall took his cue and placed his mitten covered-Zayn’s mother made them for him with matching hat he adorned-upon Zayn’s shoulder and followed in the dance.

“Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, oh come ye oh come ye to Bethlehem…” Zayn sang quietly between them getting Niall’s cheek to pink but that could also be the chilly wind whipping some of the snow around their faces.

“I didn’t know you knew this song.”

“Everyone knows them, can’t get away from them this time of year anyway.” He giggled then kissed Niall’s nose. The song continued and the two spun in a circle as the song progressed with Niall resting his head onto Zayn’s shoulder. He saw an old couple looking upon them fondly and even joined them a few yards down, the two looked like they’d been together for decades if the old woman’s hair was anything to go by and the deep lines around the man’s mouth. Niall hoped they’d be like that one day.

“Oh come let us adore him, oh come let us adore him, oh come let us adore him, Niall, my love.” Zayn sung again but only so his omega could hear obviously substituting the last part for his own agenda. Niall pulled back with his mouth open slightly and eyes a bit shiny, it was so intimate and sweet and with the snow crunching under their feet turning to slush and the faint whistle of their train approaching he looked into his alpha’s eyes, swirls of hazels and greens and golds.

“I think it’s Christ the Lord Zee.”

“I know, I think my version’s better.” He said with his breath puffing out into the cold air, Niall’s lips getting chapped so he licked them to feel a bit smoother. Zayn took that as an invitation and pressed their lips together as the train came closer, more people hustled out from the protection of the building to board the solid steel vessel, once their lips broke apart Niall felt a tender tap to his shoulder.

He turned to see that same old woman who was so short-including her husband-they could’ve been human salt and pepper shakers, “Hello dear, I just wanted to say you two make a wonderful couple. Congratulations by the way, the glow you have is beautiful. Ta!”

The old man nodded and shuffled away with his wife in tow as Niall and Zayn grabbed their bags with hands still interlocked and boarded the train. Jackets and hats were removed and Niall was soon with his chest pressed halfway to Zayn’s back on the phone telling Greg they’d be there in about two hours.

The train ride was much like their other traveling, there wasn’t much conversation as Zayn was texting his entire family assuring them he was alright-it was mainly his mother, bless her-while Niall sat and chewed on his thumb watching the dark Irish countryside whip by and now it was bright with snow. It was about an hour out of his town that he looked down and questioned, “Zee, what do you think she meant by congratulations?”

Zayn shrugged, “Don’t know, maybe on us being together or something? Old people say some weird things sometimes but they mean well. Why?”

“It’s just she said something about me glowing? And she looked at me funny.”

Zayn sat back up drawing Niall’s eyes to his with his one leg folded into his lap as the train rocked them side to side on the turn, “What do you mean funny?”

“You know that look that your nan or your mum give you when you’ve done something like really sweet? That look is what that lady gave me. It was just weird.” Niall shrugged because it was weird. Almost like that lady knew something Niall didn’t and that unnerved him because he swears she meant something more than just a congratulations of having Zayn.

“Uh, maybe it was the lighting? Either way she was real nice so I wouldn’t think about it too hard. We’re on holiday babe, no work or school or anything to think about so let’s relax and have a good time yeah?” He nuzzled into Niall’s neck asking for a cuddle-believe it or not he was the biggest cuddle bug-and Niall let it go thinking that some nice old lady was commenting on his perfect alpha now asleep and drooling slightly on his jumper.

XXXX

“Mum! Dad! Look who I found!” Greg hollered into the house that smelled of food and fire and good lager, Niall’s home. The two trailing behind carrying their bags in and shaking the dusting of snow off their black coats and letting their slightly dampened hair fall across their foreheads.

Niall’s mother came out with arms wide open and a glass of white wine in one hand, “My boys! So glad you’re here!” She of course pulled in Niall first and there was a soft moment there that only a mother and her son can share, she kissed the side of his neck then did the same with Zayn pulling him in like he was her own and honestly now he sort of was.

“Greg love, take their bags up to your brother’s room. You two follow me in the kitchen.”

Greg grumbled as usual because even though he didn’t want to take his little brother and his partner’s bags because he was a “grown ass man” he still had to listen to his mother. The couple stripped off their coats and rolled up their jumper sleeves being lead into the kitchen where on the counters were dishes upon dishes of foods.

“Help me set the table, made basically everything I could for your arrival, I know you two must be starving.” She smiled sweetly and being a mom she couldn’t help but kiss Niall’s cheek again and even Zayn’s.

“Wow Mrs. H, this looks amazing.” Zayn admitted with a bit of wonder because there was so much food he could already feel the nap he’d need afterwards.

“Call me Maura dear, you’re family.”

Zayn blushed at that and Niall mimicked her getting him to laugh following his mate out to the table and soon the family was all seated with Niall’s parents at the top and Greg to their left and the couple at the other end. The conversations flowed easily with Niall’s mother bombarding them with questions about finals and how the other boys were doing.

Greg threw a fist in the air when Zayn told them of Liam’s Christmas holiday with Eleanor, Niall’s father, Bobby, asked about what they planned to do once they graduated and Niall had a permanent position at a restaurant he worked at a few miles away from the school and Zayn had an internship that would lead to employment at a visual arts company.

“Well do you two have any plans on where you’ll be staying? Like after you graduate I mean?” Maura asked glancing at her husband quickly, Niall noticed and raised an eyebrow.

“Well uh, we’ve been looking around at some apartments that are sort of close to either of our jobs but it’s difficult to find one in our price range. I don’t make that much at the bookshop and Niall just started at the restaurant so we’re not sure. Just sort of winging it.” Zayn shrugged because it was true.

They both had been scraping by saving up money wherever they could, anything given to them by their families usually wasn’t even spent but put into their apartment fund that wasn’t too shabby at the moment but it wouldn’t last forever. Niall knew they’d be okay though, as long as he had Zayn he didn’t care if they had to live in a cardboard box-okay he did but you know.

Niall’s parents both gave a small smile to each other making Zayn tap his knee with his own under the table and motion to them, Niall just shrugged because the conversation ebbed over to Greg’s girlfriend and Niall asking all about her.

XXXX

Christmas Day

It was bittersweet, they’d been there for almost a week and Niall really didn’t want to go back, he would miss home too much and this happened anytime he could get a spare moment to travel back to Ireland and see his family. They only had a few days left before they had to get back to the university and start the spring semester.

He lay in his childhood bed that was a bit smaller than his own with Zayn snoring behind him as fresh snow was falling and it was still pretty early in the morning, around nine if he had to guess, when there was a soft knock on his door. When it opened he saw his mother poke her head in, “Ni love? You up?”

“Yeah, s’going on?” He whispered not wanting to disturb the alpha who even in his sleep pulled his arm tighter around Niall and grunted then made that slapping sound with his mouth.

“Get up, it’s Christmas and there’s a surprise for Zayn downstairs. Well for both of you, I got tea and coffee for you both.” She gave him a gentle smile and shut the door with a click.

He cleared his throat, “Zayn.”

No response. He gripped the hand hanging limp over his side and threw it off him so Zayn sort of rolled onto his back, still dead asleep. He rolled his eyes because there were only a few things he disliked when it came to his mate, one of them being trying to awake him. He got up on his knees then leant down to start kissing across his jaw that the stubble had grown in thick, then up to his ear and whispered, “Zayn.”

At least with that he got a huff of breath. He kept up his conquest of kisses making them rather loud working down his throat and across his exposed chest getting to his nipples, he started to suckle on one dark bud letting his nails drag down his sides getting the lad to stir. He sighed because this was always more of a hassle than it should’ve been.

He bit down hard on Zayn’s nipple and muttered, “Zayn!” through his gritted teeth. The alpha yelped and his eyes flew open sitting up fast with Niall snickering at the reaction, “Finally.”

“Ow babe, s’that for?” He rubbed his nipple with his eyes still heavy with sleep. Niall kissed away his grimace and deepened the kiss letting their less than pleasant tasting mouths press into one another, Zayn’s hand coming to grip Niall’s shoulder as Niall’s hand went to bury in black hair.

“Come on, it’s Christmas. Me mum says she’s got a surprise for both of us. And coffee.”

“Mmm, coffee.” Zayn mumbled out and slipped behind Niall following him downstairs.

When they entered the toasty living room, the fireplace roaring, there was Niall’s family all in their pajamas, Greg looking less than pleased to be awake this early in the morning but hummed contented sipping on his coffee. The Horan parents were both sat on the well worn sofa in robes as the couple came in chanting “Merry Christmas” to everyone.

The two sat hand in hand and thanked Maura for their steaming mugs of life-Zayn’s words-and they relished the warm liquid sliding down their throats. Maura spoke, “Okay, well before we open anything. Zayn, we have a surprise for you. Well both of you but mainly Zayn.”

Zayn raised an eyebrow as Niall squeezed his hand, Niall’s father pulling out a computer and letting the screen come into focus. There was a Skype call and once the screen finally pixilated completely there was Zayn’s parents, both wide smiles and the Caribbean sunlight just barely peeking into the room.

“Mum! Dad!” He cheered seeing his parents. No one could stop their smiles seeing Zayn light up much like the tree in the corner, sparkling with lights and reflecting off of metallic wrapping paper below it.

“Hello sunshine, Merry Christmas.” His mother cooed. “Hello son, you’re looking good. You too Ni.” His father added.

“It’s so good to see you!” He turned to face the Horan’s, “Thank you! This is the best!” wrapping them both in hugs getting Maura to tear up a little, she’s a mom, they do that.

“It’s not just that son,” his father’s voice came through the computer as Zayn settled himself closer to look at his parents, “What’s going on? Are you guys like hidden in the house or something?”

That got Niall and Greg to giggle and Mr. Horan to speak up this time, “No Zayn, the four of us decided to do something for you two.”

This time Niall and Zayn both look confused and their eyes went back and forth from both sets of parents, one in front of them and the other on the screen, “Go on Maura, show em.” Patricia piped up obviously excited.

She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in blue paper with a gold bow on the corner, “From all of us.”

Zayn took the box and handed it to Niall to open, they bickered for about half a minute who should open it when Greg snatched it away and ripped off the paper, “Greg!”

“What? I want them to finally get the gift already!” He looked flabbergasted to his mother, Zayn’s father commending him on taking charge.

Niall held the box as Zayn lifted the lid. Inside were two silver rings and on those rings were keys. One key each. And with each key there was a charm, one had a shiny “N” and the other a “Z”. They lifted up their respective keys getting the hint that the one with their initial was theirs.

“Uh, what are these for mum?” Niall pondered looking up. His mother was brimming and his father had the same smile Niall inherited, Greg rolled his eyes the only way a big brother can.

“Can I tell them? Please!” Patricia squealed through the speakers, Maura simply nodded.

“Mum?” Zayn turned, his parents much like the Horan’s right now. Vibrating with anticipation.

“Well…we got you a house sunshine!”

The couple’s mouths both dropped open, “What!”

Bobby spoke, “We figured that you two would need somewhere after you graduate so the four of us pooled our resources and found a nice three bedroom for you two to start off in. It’s not completely paid off, will take a while but we thought it could be a Christmas slash graduation gift.”

The two bonded looked at each other with disbelief in their eyes and looking down at their keys and then to their parents. They had a house. Their own place for when they finally were out of school and had to be adults. The worries of finding a place completely vanishing with one simple yet grand gesture.

“Say something.” Greg huffed out. He was known of the present beforehand and even had helped in finding his little brother’s home.

“I-oh my god. Thank you!” Niall squealed and launched himself into his parent’s loving embrace and turned his head, “You too! Oh my god, I-I don’t know what to say!”

“Mum, Da, this is incredible. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means for us.” Zayn teared up a little bit getting his mother to look at him that special way only she could, “Of course sunshine, we all wanted to make sure our boys were taken care of after you two graduate. We figured this would be one thing you wouldn’t have to worry about.”

The two embraced and kissed, a bit more thoroughly than they normally would in front of their families but the sheer elation of having their own place and not having to worry about scraping up money to find somewhere was such an immense relief. Niall’s father cleared his throat, he didn’t mind his son being with Zayn, loved the alpha his son chose to pieces, but straddling that alpha in front of all of them was a little much on the PDA scale.

“Sorry dad, so uh, where is it?”

This is when Greg made his debut into the conversation, “I’ll show you lot after we get the rest of the festivities over with. Mum, I’m starving.”

Maura nodded saying her goodbyes to the Malik’s and went about preparing a proper Irish breakfast for the family, Zayn spoke to his parents a bit more, wiping his eyes because what they did for him and his partner made him a bit emotional and thanked them over and over for their generosity, the Horan’s too. He even got to say hello to his sisters which just added to his fantastic mood. Niall was rapidly talking to his father on the couch of how and why they would do this for them. Niall’s father pulled him in, “Because you and Zayn are our boys and we’re your parents, we have to make sure everything’s alright. That you’re both safe and taken care of.”

XXXX

The house was lovely. Nothing too big or fancy of course, simple white walls and cream colored carpets, the stairs on the right side as so as you stepped in, off to the left was the living area and Niall recognized some of the furniture from his own house in Ireland was there, a few pictures as well of his family.

In the back was the kitchen that had an enormous fridge, Niall nodded triumphantly at that, the counters were shiny and clean fake marble and the tiles on the floor were dark gray that stood out starkly against the white cabinets and silver stove.

Upstairs were three bedrooms, all completely empty and the small bathroom that had a rubber duck theme making them both roll their eyes because Niall informed him that Greg was the culprit behind that, had to be.

The front room was the biggest, two windows facing the street and the walls in this room were a sort of beige color complimenting the same cream colored carpets that were wall to wall in the house. The back two bedrooms were smaller, the middle with one window and the one at the back of the house with two windows facing the back yard where a small patio was located and two rows of old oak trees lining the fences.

The couple walked through their new home with bright smiles plastered to their faces the entire time. This was theirs. Their new home. Somewhere they could be together and away from the dorms and fuck it felt good to think about that. This was theirs.

“Wow.” Niall whispered out going into the backyard where snow was still covering it, completely untouched and smooth as glass, white stretching across the place. The neighbors homes on either side were separated by simple chain link fencing.

“Yeah, can’t believe they did this for us.” Zayn shivered a bit at a gust of wind pulling his scarf tighter to his body.

“You’re cold, c’mere.” Niall opened his arms letting Zayn snuggle into his frame. He was more than comfortable in just a hoodie-something Zayn chastised him for since it was freezing out even though the sun was high in the sky and made the snow almost blinding.

Zayn felt the heat Niall gave off and it was thick against his coat, easily seeping into his thin frame.

“I knew you were warm babes but jeeze, you’re like a sauna.” Zayn mumbled into Niall’s neck that was hot to the touch.

Niall shrugged, “Yeah I guess so.”

They stayed like that, just enjoying each other’s presence in their backyard standing on the frozen over patio, the cement slab a bit slippery with ice. “So when did you want to move in?”

“Don’t know. Right now honestly but think how much hassle it’d be with all the ice and snow. Maybe when some of it melts?” Zayn told him looking up and held Niall’s hand as they entered through the sliding door in the kitchen, shaking off the chill the outside left him. Niall was fine.

“Good idea. Should we go back to campus? The boys are gonna flip. We need to celebrate and you know Louis will want to anyway. We’ve got a house Zee!” Niall bubbled out walking towards the front door with Zayn’s hand still in his.

XXXX

Thankfully the house they could call theirs was only about a half hour away from campus so they forewent driving Zayn’s car that would probably not even make it on the ice, the tires desperately needed to be changed so they opted for taking the bus that dropped them off right in front of their school.

Niall called Louis while Zayn called Liam as they walked through the quad that was quiet, both of them saying that they had big news and that a sort of party should be held. Louis of course jumped at the idea and tossed the phone into Harry’s lap since of course they were together in Harry’s room and could be heard mumbling about what to wear.

Liam’s grin could be heard through the phone and he politely asked if he could bring Eleanor-they were still at her parent’s place an hour away-and the couple agreed that it would be fine and they also wanted to get to know this girl a bit better, only having quick conversations with her in passing, never actually hanging out with her.

Once Niall and Zayn got onto their floor from the elevator they separated into their rooms, Niall making sure that his room was equipped to deal with the usual group and one tagalong. Zayn came over quicker than expected and surprised Niall by pulling him in by his hoodie and forcefully slamming their lips together, his tongue easily breaking the seam of Niall’s lips and the omega squeaked.

Zayn chuckled into the kiss and brought his hands to pull Niall in some more, resting on his waist and squeezing the flesh there through his shirt, the heat he gave off was intense. Niall fell into the kiss as easy as it was, feeling Zayn’s lips against his and that sharp tongue moving against his teeth had his knees a little wobbly, Zayn did that to him a lot.

They snogged for minutes on end, both groins swelling and bodies moving against one another until Niall pulled away a bit breathless, “S’that for?”

Zayn just smirked, “Nothing, just cause I love kissing you.”

“Sap.” Niall rolled his eyes but couldn’t break the fondness that his blue eyes divulged into golden caramel ones in front of him.

“You love it.” Zayn smiled as Niall pulled away from him saying he wanted to change his clothes and it was way too warm for even his thin shirt. Zayn was wearing a sweat shirt and jeans with a beanie still pulled halfway onto his head as he climbed up Niall’s bed and just watched. He loved watching Niall, as creepy as that sounded, but he just did.

He hummed to himself watching his omega undress near the bathroom door where his dresser was located, saw the flush of pink to his skin and how smooth his body was, the muscles in his back dancing and moving under his skin. He bit his lip as Niall slipped out of his jeans and a small part of the top of his ass flashed before he pulled his boxers back up and slipped on a pair of gray shorts and decided on wearing a beater.

“Aren’t you cold?” He asked seeing Niall look a bit relieved and it wasn’t that warm in the room at all, comfortable at least.

“Nah, bit hot actually. Glad it’s winter then.” He shrugged stepping into the bathroom to fix his hair as the boys and Eleanor were to be there soon.

And soon enough they were arriving, the sun set already at six. First was Louis and Harry with loud cheers and long hugs, them both looking quite fluffy in sweaters and pajama pants, Harry’s hair pulled back under a beanie. Then Liam and a shy looking Eleanor arrived with bags of food they picked up from the Italian place by her house, she had said that she wanted to make a good impression finally hanging out with them.

“You brought Italian. You’re good in my book.” Niall half hugged her and she blushed muttering a “Thanks.”

They all dug into the creamy pastas and perfectly seasoned breadsticks making idle chatter. Liam telling them about his holiday with Eleanor, she was a sweet girl and Niall remembering, thanked her for helping him when he went into heat the three weeks ago.

“No problem, I know what it’s like, I mean my brother’s an omega and I’ve had to get him out of situations like that. That Josh guy, he’s such an ass.” She said to the group.

Zayn stiffened and his jaw clenched, “Touches him again…”

They all heard the far off growl in his voice because Zayn fucking hates Josh. For obvious reasons as he was trying to take his Niall away from him. Harry and Louis up on the sofa looked at the four on the floor when Louis asked, “What did we miss?”

Zayn’s fist clenched and Niall noticing it put a hand over it and squeezed, “It’s okay babe, I’m fine remember. Nothing happened.”

Liam answered for them because Niall was too busy trying to coax his alpha back from the anger he was feeling, alphas do that. Put their omega in danger and they were unstoppable and even though it had happened before they left for holiday break it still left a nasty taste in his mouth and his blood heated up thinking about what could have happened had he, Liam and Eleanor not gotten there in time.

“Ni went into heat at the caf and Josh came up trying to knot him or something. Zayn called me and El when he was headed over there just in case. He was like leaning over Niall on that couch near the window and it didn’t look good from what I saw, Zayn stopped it though.”

“I wish I could punch that dude in the balls, he’s a proper cunt.” Eleanor administered and Liam’s eyes widened and so did Harry and Lou’s, “Li, keep her. She’s a good one.” Louis winked at her and fist bumped Harry who agreed.

“So what was this news you had for us? I hope it’s like awesome good news cause I just so happen to have brought some bubbly in case it is. And if it isn’t we’re still getting drunk so…” Harry let out taking his bowl and Louis’ and setting it on the desk.

Zayn was calmed now and his demeanor brightened up at remembering the good news that him and his partner had to share, “Okay so we won’t be here come spring time.”

“What!?” Harry blanched. Louis looked ready to slap them while Liam looked sad and Eleanor much the same.

“Excuse me, you can’t leave. I won’t allow it.” Louis huffed crossing his arms with a scowl and Harry leaning forward motioning for them to explain.

“What my darling boyfriend was trying to say,” Niall rolled his eyes because Zayn liked to do dramatic shit like that, “is that we’re moving out of the dorms. Our parents got us a house like a half hour away!”

“Oh thank god.” Harry mumbled dropping his head and Louis brightening up, “Yes! Where! When’s the housewarming? I’ve got plans to think of! THEMES!”

Liam congratulated them all as did El, Louis was rapidly looking on his phone for ideas for a themed housewarming and the bonded pair knew there was no fighting it. Harry was told to pull out the drinks that his mate had already packed in a messenger bag and brought out three bottles of liquor.

Shots were poured and laughs were shared but something wasn’t sitting right. Niall wasn’t drinking. He just couldn’t, the smell of it made his nose wrinkle and his stomach churn. Louis asked him why he didn’t take one with them and he said he couldn’t stand it, made his mouth water like he was going to vomit.

That raised some eyebrows because Niall loved to drink, always ready to have a good time and he drank liquor-the whiskey Louis brought was one of his favorites-like water.

“Are you sick? You’ve never had a problem with the smell.” Louis crawled over on his knees and placed his hand over Niall’s forehead promptly getting it smacked away.

“Nah, just. That smell is getting to me. This sucks! I wanna get something out of tonight before classes start and if I can’t drink…” He placed his face in his hands.

“We don’t have to ya know.” Harry said capping the bottle and making to put it away. Niall quickly stopped him saying that even if he couldn’t that it shouldn’t stop anyone else from having fun. Eleanor pulled a white stick out of her purse, “Do you smoke? Is that cool? I’ve got a few joints in here.”

Liam was told again to keep her because she was the absolute best person ever. They both blushed and Liam slipped his hand into hers. Niall gratefully took the joint handed to him and lit it up using Zayn’s lighter. He puffed on it feeling the sticky smoke fill his lungs and he could practically feel his eyes pinken and his body feel lighter while the others were busy taking shots.

Niall smoked as his friends drank and it was a great night, all laughs and sharing stories, some heard before and some not, Eleanor opening up more and they all could see why Liam liked her so much, she was awesome.

As the night wound down the pairs started to break off, Louis complaining he wanted sex rather loudly so they promptly left with Harry’s bulge visible in his pajama pants. Liam left with El a few minutes later saying they had to get back to her parent’s place for some reason. Niall knew it was to fuck but wasn’t going to call them out on it.

Then it was Zayn and Niall, the omega drifting in his head while Zayn dozed off on the floor, Niall’s head in his lap. He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but he was positive he shouldn’t have been scrambling off the floor at four in the morning with the horrible need to puke.

Zayn had slumped over against his bed with his ass-probably numb-still on the floor as the omega barely made it into his bathroom and hurled and it fucking hurt. His ribs felt like they were cracking as violent spasms caused all the half digested Italian in his stomach to come flooding into the toilet, he heaved and heaved and heaved until it was nothing but sickly bile and Zayn coming in rubbing his eyes.

“Babe, you okay?”

Niall let out a death moan then spit. The acidic taste in his mouth so vile that he dry heaved a few times while Zayn rubbed his back, Niall swatted him away getting a slightly hurt expression from him. A mumbled “hot” was the only response he got and Zayn made an “oh” expression quickly running a rag under the faucet getting it nice and icy cold.

He placed the compress to Niall’s forehead whose face was red as a tomato and his lips were swollen, his stomach still churning but there was nothing left to come up, just horrible cramps causing his body to jerk. Zayn looked at him worried because Niall never threw up and he never got sick, he didn’t have a single sip of liquor and when has Niall Horan ever thrown up because of drinking anyway?

“What’s gotten into you?” He whispered wiping the sweat from Niall’s brow, his partner looking so exhausted with face now ashen and hair damp.

“Dunno. Sucks. Tired.” He moaned between gulps and tasted his upchuck and almost pushed Zayn out of the way in a desperate move to the sink. Zayn stood idly by as Niall hastily brushed his teeth, used the mouthwash twice and took in his appearance mumbling about how shit he looked.

Zayn followed behind him as Niall shucked off his clothes to be fully naked and climbed into his bed and was stopped halfway from getting in with a hand to his chest, “Zee, can you crash on the couch or your room? I’m hot and I want some space.”

“Uh. Okay, sure.” He nibbled his lip in uncertainty because for three years unless circumstances prevented them they had slept next to each other. But he understood, sometimes you just wanted to stretch and since Niall had just gotten sick he was probably not exactly in a coddling mood, which was surprising too because Niall loved physical affection.

“Hey,” Niall whispered as he grabbed Zayn’s wrist pulling him back down, “love you.”

“Love you too.” Zayn smirked and kept their good night kiss innocent. Zayn lay on the sofa just to be there in case Niall needed him with a blanket half thrown over his body and he watched tiredly as Niall fell back asleep and he hoped that whatever Niall may have caught-he figured a weird stomach bug from the Ireland trip-that he’d be okay within a few days.

XXXX

Niall wasn’t okay within a few days. He wasn’t okay within a few weeks either. Not even months. He was alright for the most part, his usual cheery self with the laid back attitude, running around with his classes and study sessions with Liam in the library but at least once a week he’d vomit. Still couldn’t even stand the stench of alcohol so he hadn’t had a drink nor could he go out to the pub with his best mates either.

So Niall was sort of miserable at times. Rightfully so.

He also couldn’t stop eating. Now this isn’t something strange for him since he was like an empty shell that could imbibe food like nobody’s business but now it was bordering ridiculous. He could be seen at almost any given time eating a burrito doused in hot sauce or munching on some type of crunchy vegetable in between classes. Wherever Niall was there was food not too far away from him.

He chocked it up to senior year coming to an end, that everything he had to finish-which he was doing quite well with, his business proposal was a huge success much like the dishes he had been preparing-and finals and just the onslaught of work he had to do on top of the job he had at the restaurant downtown.

Spring had finally reached England and everyone was thankful for it, Niall not so much. He was still so warm all the time and with the increasing temperatures he almost always had a slight sheen of sweat and barely anything on. Sleeping next to Zayn had become almost a hassle for him and he did feel guilty having to push him away because he couldn’t bear the heat, Zayn understood but even Niall could see the slight despair in his eyes, he missed his omega.

But Niall battled through it, they didn’t cuddle as often but he’d at least share his bed with Zayn freezing next to him as he blasted his AC in the room and he’d wake up with Zayn’s shivering form next to him and pull him in to have his alpha stop shaking and fall back asleep. Another thing was his libido. Sometimes he couldn’t stop riding Zayn, would keep his knot firmly planted inside his body until it shrank and then start stimulating him again.

One day Zayn had knotted Niall three times in a row to where he was so swollen with cum it was almost uncomfortable and Zayn was drained of not only semen but energy. Then the next day he’d be totally against anything, wouldn’t even want to be touched sexually. It was all very confusing.

Zayn voiced his concern to Harry one night, saying how weird Niall had been since they came back, the random vomiting, fluctuating sex drive and the constant need for food. Harry raised an eyebrow, “You know what that sounds like don’t you?”

“No, what?”

“Seriously man? You’re not stupid. Eating more than usual which is scary to think, sex drive going weird, vomits at least once a week and the body heat thing?” He looked at his friend expectantly with hard green eyes.

“I…what?” Zayn couldn’t think apparently which was weird because he’d only smoked a blunt with Harry so he wasn’t that stoned.

“When’s the last time he went into heat?”

Zayn looked insulted, “Excuse you, that’s our business. I don’t ask when the last time you fucked Lou.”

“Two nights ago just so you know. But I mean not like just fucking, like when he went into heat. When their body is ready for…you know.” Harry motioned with his hands in a rolling form.

“Uh, I think…yeah, before we went on Christmas holiday. Why?” Zayn still wasn’t putting two and two together. Harry rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his curls while Zayn stared on.

“Dude, he’s pregnant. Almost three months and no heat episode? And everything on top of that? You’re not that daft to not pick up on that are you?”

Zayn’s eyes widened, “No way! He can’t-he can’t be pregnant!”

“Actually yes he can. You knotted him when he was in heat and then nothing after that, not even a blip of a cycle and then all that weird shit? You’re gonna be a daddy.”

XXXX

Niall was on the phone with Louis talking about setting up help for the move that was to take place in only a few days, the weekend coming actually. They had rented a truck and with Liam, Harry and-reluctantly but Niall promised him alcohol-Louis’ help and they were to finally settle into their new home that they had been slowly moving things into as the weather heated up.

The snow and ice were just mere slush by now as it was mid April and the house was coming together. All the furniture from the Malik and Horan households were there in the beginning and now a majority of Zayn and Niall’s belongings were there, they’d even bought a queen sized bed and had it delivered. Christened it as well with the plastic still on it thank you very much, that triple knotting Niall had was done that day.

He was making his way down the hall of the dorm gobbling down a hot sausage he got in the cafeteria passing by the few moving about, talking to Louis with his mouth full of food when he opened the door to see Zayn sitting on his bed with his knees on his elbows and fingers linked looking stoic.

“Ey luff.” Niall said in a mouthful swallowing the last part of his hot sausage with Louis chastising him about talking with his mouth full. He gulped down the last of it, “Yo Lou, I’ll call you back, Zee’s in me room.”

He rolled his eyes at the wolf whistle he got in response shutting his phone and dropping his school bag to the floor, the bottle of water placed on the desk, “Sup babe? You alright?” he pondered to his partner who hadn’t moved.

“Niall. Come sit down.” A very strange tone to his voice.

“Okay?” He removed his beater and kicked off his shoes making his way over to turn on the AC on full blast and stand in front of it, the cold air feeling so good against his skin and noticing that Zayn’s jaw was linear and his lips clenched. Something was up.

“What’s up with you? Why are you all rigid and shit?” He asked his alpha as he sat down on the sofa that would soon be packed into the rented truck in a few days.

Zayn stay silent but took a deep breath letting it whoosh from his lungs, “Babe, I need you to do something.”

“Anything, you know that.” Niall retorted with a loving tone because Zayn was acting strange like something dire or life threatening had to be asked.

“I need you to take this.” He reached behind him and handed Niall a blue and white box where on the front said “Pregnancy Test”. He laughed.

“Seriously? I’m not pregnant Zayn.” Tossing it to the side of the sofa and thought this was some sort of joke but the alpha didn’t look like he was joking at all. His eyes were almost unrecognizable with the conviction they held.

“Niall. I’m serious. Please take that test. I was talking to Harry and we both think you might be.” His jaw clenched again and his eyes hardened making Niall cower a bit. It wasn’t the same way he looked at Josh that one time but it had the same effect, no budging from it.

“Uh okay. Are you-are you mad at me?” He questioned timidly with his eyes going down to the floor noticing he had a hole in his sock and his palm came to rub against where his tummy stuck out being sat down, he had noticed a little bit of pudge on him but he’d blame that on stress eating.

His face was lifted by a slender finger belonging to his alpha, his face directly in front of Niall’s now kneeled on the ground between his legs, “No baby, I’m not mad. Don’t you ever think I could be mad if you were pregnant, please don’t ever think that.” He leaned in and kissed him softly, slipping his tongue into Niall’s mouth as Niall’s hands gingerly placed themselves on Zayn’s sharp shoulders in his hoodie and jeans.

Pulling away, “S’just, you’ve been off since we got back from your parents and you haven’t been in heat since before we left. Just things are adding up to seem like you are, it was actually Harry who said it. Please? Can you just take it to see?”

“Yeah, sure. Be uh, be right back then.” He stuttered out because there was something in Zayn’s eyes that he couldn’t decipher and Niall could understand everything about his alpha but there was something there. And in his voice too, like he was tired but brimming at the same time. Before he could go though he had Zayn’s hands wrapped around his bare biceps, “Love you Ni.”

“Love you too.” He got a smirk from Zayn and when stood felt a tap to his bum as Zayn readjusted himself to sit on the sofa.

Niall closed the door to the bathroom and holding the box in his hand he let his mind wander. Could he? He hadn’t really thought about it because even though he could get pregnant it wasn’t something he normally thought of. Sure he’d been eating more but he was just stressed, he had gained a small amount of weight but that was the food. The vomiting once a week he could hold against the over eating and his body rejecting it, the body heat thing was different and his wavering sex drive was unexplainable but he just figured last year stresses being the culprit.

Thankfully he had enough urine to successfully coat the end of the stick he needed to test with and capped it in under ten minutes. Stepping out of the bathroom Zayn hadn’t moved from his spot, Niall placed the test on the windowsill setting the four minute timer to see if he was with child.

The silence was nearly uncomfortable with Zayn not moving and Niall nervously picking his nails clean until Zayn made Niall jump when he spoke, “I wouldn’t mind if you were you know.”

Niall stayed silent because he wouldn’t mind it either but having that thought that you could very well be carrying your child and someone else’s was rather daunting. His hand was pulled away and fingers filled with Zayn’s-they fit seamlessly, “Niall, seriously. If you are I’m okay with it. More than okay.”

Niall could only nod. Only two minutes to go. He felt a squeeze to his hand, “Say something?”

“I don’t know what to say. I mean it makes sense and all but like, I could be pregnant? With your baby?” Rubbing his free hand over his stomach and Zayn watched the gesture.

“Yeah my baby. Who else would it be?” And even though there was the air of a joke behind it Niall didn’t mistake the faint growl of a possessive alpha behind it.

He rolled his eyes, “Zee, don’t start. You know what I mean. Like, we made something alive and I do want kids but this is such a surprise. What if I’m not good with them or they hate me?”

Zayn nudged his shoulder then unlatched their hands to pull him into his chest, kissing the top of his head as he lay back against the sofa, “No one could hate you, least of all our kid. Don’t talk like that.”

One minute left.

“No matter what happens, whether you are or not, you’re still my Ni and one day we’ll have them anyway. I know I want them and you’ve said you wanted them too.”

Niall nodded.

They waited in silence with Niall radiating into Zayn’s clothes and pulled away saying he was too hot for a cuddle right now even with the AC going, that thought popped into his head that maybe he was hence the internal heat wave he’d been suffering for the past two and half, maybe three months.

The phone alarmed them that the four minutes was up. They looked at each other after Niall retrieved the test with a shaky hand, Zayn reclasped their fingers together with his other. Turning it over he gulped as the faint lettering began to appear. The two maybe parents looked down to see it read “pregnant” and for one brief second it was final until a “not” appeared above it.

Niall let out a whooping breath of relief, “Oh thank god.”

Zayn didn’t make a sound. The omega looked over to see Zayn nibbling his lip and looking as if someone had taken away his favorite paintbrush set or Niall or something along those lines.

“Hey, what’s wrong? This is good news isn’t it?”

“Yeah, just. I’ve been waiting to have you take it for like two weeks now and well I sort of liked the idea that you were. A bit disappointed is all.” He shrugged. Niall kissed his cheek saying that even though he wasn’t that didn’t mean he couldn’t be or wouldn’t be. Just had to let time and nature decide when he was.

When the alpha then questioned his lack of heat cycles, sex rollercoaster, constant eating and the sick mornings Niall only had one answer saying the stresses of their final year and the move and becoming graduated adults was messing with his system.

Niall kissed him over and over until he was smiling bright again and they talked more about the move taking part that weekend but he could still see the slight frown on his face and for some reason he felt almost guilty that he wasn’t pregnant since Zayn seemed to really enjoy the prospect of having their first child fresh out of college.

XXXX

The move was easier than expected. Harry and Liam were brute force moving the few boxes and furniture into the house whereas Louis was more dictator than actual muscle, no one was surprised. But it went on, the five young men all moving boxes and telling each other which rooms they went into, all of Zayn’s art supplies in the small middle bedroom and their random trinkets and pictures were left to be scattered around the house when the couple decided to finally decorate.

It was about four hours into the move when Niall bent down-using his knees mind you-and lifted up a box of his old records that were more for show than play when a wave of dizziness hit him, he swayed on the spot and had to place the box down and take a few deep breaths. His alpha sensing the disturbance came rushing over, “You okay?”

Niall had to gulp for air because fuck, his head was spinning and he’d eaten more than anyone at lunch scarfing down at least three half pieces of hoagies which were all at least four inches long, he was full for sure. No dehydration since he hadn’t had a drink in three months and all he could drink was water or lemonade and the very random cup of coffee.

“Yeah-yeah, m’fine. Maybe I’m a bit tired, not used to so much physical stuff.” He stood with shaky knees that never really happened to him even though he had a bad one, horrible footie injury when he was younger.

“Okay, you go inside and start unpacking stuff okay? No more lifting, we got this.” He said and tapped Niall’s bum to make him go inside and repeated his statement of no more lifting.

When he got upstairs into his bedroom there was Louis and Liam dropping down a box, Liam was first to voice, “You alright? You’re wicked pale mate.”

And then there was a warm palm against his forehead that made him cringe because fuck, it was just too warm anywhere. He batted his hand away, “M’fine, can’t lift anything more, Zayn’s orders. Got a bit dizzy that’s all.”

Liam left with a contemplative sort of pout on his face but nodded and clapped Niall on the shoulder and Niall went about setting up his bedroom to be shared with Zayn. They had already discussed what would be in each room over tea and Chinese food multiple times so it was easy to actually command Louis on which picture hung where or how the bookcase was to be set against the wall across from the bed and not next to it, much to Louis’ protest of his so called “feng shui” knowledge.

It went on like that, Niall randomly leaving to take a wee and Louis doing the same as they set up the top floor of the house where, if the sounds below were any indication, the rest of the boys were setting up the bottom with Zayn barking orders of where things went. Might as well get it done in one day and now that the sun stayed out longer they could.

It was when Louis and Niall were in the bathroom with Niall putting away their shower goodies in the tub that Louis was sitting on the toilet, “Mate, can I ask you something?”

Niall turned and even though the cap was closed he could smell Zayn’s body wash which was weird since it was ever so subtle even when opened and it filled his belly and nostrils with nostalgia, he wondered how Zayn smelled right now. That mix of body wash-vanilla and earthy mixed with his sweat-and he probably smelled wonderful, “Uh yeah, sure.” Shrugging as the last bottles were set upon the edge and he fiddled with the shower head to finally figure out how it worked.

“What’s up with Zayn? He seems upset.” Louis had a dejected look upon his face and of course he loved Zayn because that was Niall’s mate but also as an omega they feel and see when an alpha isn’t happy. Not that Niall didn’t make him happy, mind you.

“He’s fine. Just…I don’t know. A bit bummed I guess.” He shrugged again and fiddled with the bottles even though he didn’t need to.

“Is this about the whole pregnancy thing?” Louis said in a malleable voice, like he wasn’t supposed to bring it up. Niall technically thought he shouldn’t.

“Harry told you didn’t he?”

Louis only nodded.

Niall huffed out a breath as he collapsed the small box and sat on the tub looking a bit agitated because he knew that Harry would say something, Louis was his partner and omega, of course he’d say something, “I’m not pregnant and we weren’t planning on it.”

Louis’ hand came out to rub Niall’s knee that jerked away because he didn’t want to be touched, not in sympathy like they were planning it nor did he want the heat from Louis’ hand to permeate his jean shorts.

“I know but still.” And Louis left the sentence at that.

For some reason something bubbled in Niall, not anger, not any emotion he could recognize, almost like remorse, “Lou, I’m not pregnant and I know all the signs point to it but that test said I wasn’t. And I sorta feel like shit that I’m not, I really think he wants it to happen and once it could’ve and now it’s not, well it’s broken his heart. I didn’t know how bad he wanted pups man, I want them too but right now? At this stage?”

Louis tentatively brought his hand back and Niall let him rub his knee, “I’m pretty certain he was ready for pups as soon as you bonded. He’s a born daddy, it’s kinda obvious.”

Niall could only slump up and down one shoulder because yeah, he knew it was true.

“BOYS! YOU COMING DOWN FOR DINNER OR SHOULD WE GIVE YOU SOME ALONE TIME!” Came Harry’s holler and both omegas picked up on the very gravelly growl Zayn let out near him near the bottom of the stair, Niall rolled his eyes.

“Be right down! Zee babe, calm your tits!” Niall hollered through the door and heard a distinct chuckle from Harry and something like a titter from Liam and a definite grumble from Zayn. Always the protective alpha.

Then it was dinner, they opted to order out since no one wanted to cook and it was the five of them eating some amazing Italian food-the same place Eleanor had brought from before-and watching something reality television wise. Niall was too preoccupied how Zayn was much more interested in his meal-that he wasn’t eating-than he was anything else. Harry and Louis curled on the old couch and Liam texting.

It only took less than two hours before they were all kicked out, Niall feigning exhaustion and even offered that they could crash but Liam was adamant on seeing El and Louis and Harry…well.

They were gone in less than a half hour and with Niall’s insistence they left the pasta and chicken containers on the coffee table as the Irishman dragged his alpha upstairs, turning in the hallway he brought their lips together swapping creamy sauces and spit around, pulling apart, “How about we christen that bed of ours.”

Zayn’s eyebrows raised at Niall’s wiggling ones, such a bubbly minx, “Thought we already had.”

Niall raised his shoulders with a ‘so what’ expression and grabbed Zayn by the belt loops of his jeans and dragged him into the bedroom hastily peeling off his tank top and dropping his shorts to stand in his boxers, dick half hard. He helped Zayn undress hastily with little nips and nibbles to Zayn’s throat and sharp collar bones, shoving his hand down the alpha’s jeans before he could even get them undone, gripping his shaft and running his thumb along the base where his knot would start to swell momentarily.

Zayn shivered at the searing hot kisses he was receiving against his body, Niall working his way down and swirling a tongue around his perfect shaped nipple then biting it as the cock in his hand began to stiffen to its full length with the alpha’s jeans now pooled around his ankles and boxers down to his knees.

“Niall, my god.” He moaned as Niall’s downward conquest continued and he licked each one of his abs then kissed them, his lips on fire against the man’s skin. Then he was on his knees, his own dick was straining in opposition to his underwear as he sucked in Zayn’s dick, the sweaty remnants of the move still pungent and it made his eyes roll back in his head tasting it, Zayn’s manly taste.

He bobbed his head slowly and turned it, bathing the cock in his mouth while Zayn’s hands massaged the omega’s scalp, both his pale hands working up and down the shaft with the slurping around the head. He smeared his spit down the length of his mate and rubbed around the swell of his knot, the thin veins in it getting darker as the fatter ones up his shaft began to thrum.

He moaned around Zayn’s cock and had the lad standing almost buckle at the vibrating sensation, sucking him down over halfway he let his tongue dance on the underside where the thick line of his urethra pressed out while his throat tensed around the constantly exposed head. While practically swallowing Zayn down he was eyeing the swell of the knot in his fingertips, how it thumped surrounded by the thick black hair of his pubes and pulling off Zayn’s cock he began to tongue it, Zayn groaned loud and pleased.

Niall was almost making out with the swell of Zayn’s knot, felt how tight the skin was there and the smell of Zayn’s balls was bulky in his nostrils making his own dick spew out a few beads of precum, the smell of Zayn right now was driving him mad. A mixture of dried sweat, slightly dirty skin and vanilla body spray causing him to whimper as he suckled half of the swell of Zayn’s base. Rough friction and wetness making Zayn moan again because Niall didn’t usually suck on his almost popped knot and it was intense to say the least.

Niall finally pulled his own cock own and it was thumping in his grip as he sucked on Zayn’s swell and more precum gushed from his slit much like Zayn’s was now dripping on Niall’s bare shoulder. Zayn pulled him off after a few minutes with a shaky voice, “You-you’re gonna make me cum so fast baby. Want to be inside you.”

Niall wasted no time in shucking off his boxers and pulling his knees to his chest at the head of the bed, his hole shiny with slick and moving as if to grab onto Zayn’s thickness as the alpha watched with a sultry snarl because Niall was submitting to him and he looked so fucking good like that, hair was disheveled and lips were red as was his hole that pushed out a glob of slick that stained his crease, him sucking off Zayn got his body to overproduce the natural lubricant and he was sloshing inside.

Zayn climbed atop the bed and sat on his knees, the tip of his cock pressing gently against Niall’s waiting hole and another glob of clear slipped out to drip from his tip and onto the bed, he moaned at the aroma of it and how hot it was against his skin, almost too hot. Then he pressed in as Niall gasped at the intrusion and he was taking Zayn in much easier than normal, easier than when he went into heat-which hadn’t happened in months.

“Zayn oh my god! You feel so good!” Niall moaned and it sounded pained but it sure wasn’t, it was disbelief as Zayn sunk in and the swell of his knot slipped inside his body as well. Every nerve vibrating with zaynzaynzayn and immense waves of pleasure.

“You’re so hot, fucking hell.” Zayn retorted because Niall was boiling inside and it was amazing, his slick was thicker than usual and coated Zayn’s cock with no effort as the alpha began his thrusting, felt the hard spot of Niall’s prostate on the topside of his dick as he sunk in then out.

The slick of Niall squelched out to dampen Zayn’s crotch and it make a sickly wet slap as the thrusting increased, their tongues flitting over one another’s and Zayn’s hands holding back Niall’s hairy legs, his pinkish pale cock bobbing above the pudgy stomach he had.

“ZAYN!” Niall screamed as his orgasm snuck up on him and his slit shot out white that shot straight into his face and across his own tongue, his hole and walls shaking around Zayn’s moving shaft and more slick squeezed out to slap and stick between Zayn’s sharp hips and Niall’s jiggling ass cheeks.

“Fuck! Ni!” Zayn hollered as the heat around his member increased and Niall had cum untouched and it was so hot to feel his own spunk dripping off his face in white and clear, looking like he was silently moaning with eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed while Zayn pounded into him faster and felt his knot begin to swell.

Then there was another orgasm from Niall and he hadn’t even felt a build up to this one at all, his dick twitched and the head swelled, his foreskin completely peeling back and more white shot from the slit and hung from the reddish head of his dick and streaked more of his chest than his face. His hole and tunnel got even warmer, wetter and this time tighter. Niall’s hands were fisting the sheets surrounding him as Zayn continued his pounding and his head felt as if it could float away.

Zayn was done for, he had to actually press hard to get his swelling knot to squeak-it actually squeaked-then pop-it actually made the popping sound- inside Niall before it actually popped and then it did, his body shook like he was having a seizure as the knot at the base of his cock finally expanded and stretched Niall’s tunnel out to astronomical proportions.

Niall only made a whimper as his dick dribbled out a few drops of liquid and his eyes shot open while his back arched and no sound came from his lips. The most intense orgasm of his entire life causing him to black out and his body fell limp into the sheets as wave after wave of euphoria washed through him. Zayn on top of him was trembling and his elbows looked as if they’d give out while pump after pump of his seed was filling Niall at a rapid rate.

He tugged only slightly on the rim of Niall and heard the omega give out a high whine and his eyes were foggy and unfocused while more semen filled his tunnel, mixing with his slick and causing his abdomen to swell.

“Holy shit babe.” Zayn stuttered above Niall who said nothing as the alpha brought himself down and smeared Niall’s spunk between their chests and his still hard dick was digging into the alpha’s stomach.

“Babe?” He asked because Niall had a far off look in his face, he was breathing rather shallow and he looked peaceful.

“Niall.” He growled because he didn’t like the non-responsiveness.

Then massive blue eyes came into focus after hearing his name, sort of muffled like you were under water and he turned his head with a disbelieving expression, “I think I just went to heaven.” And sighed with his chest rising higher than it had.

“What?” Zayn questioned as his dick was still spurting out his cum and Niall’s cock was digging harder into his stomach because Niall’s abdomen was swelling. Heady waves of pleasure coursing through both men, Niall still coming down from his high where Zayn’s was low and steady.

“I’ve never cum that hard before Zee, like I don’t even know, that was the most intense nut I’ve ever busted.” He still had a rather blank expression on his face but it turned to a smirk when Zayn kissed him with his own.

Another twenty minutes of Zayn dumping his load into his omega and then his knot shrunk and his cock went flaccid and upon slipping out he saw that Niall looked as if he had swallowed a bowling ball, his waist and stomach sticking out so far, “Babe look.”

Niall looked down and rubbed his hand over the mound that was his body and even though Zayn’s cock was nowhere near his hole, said hole wasn’t letting go of any semen, not even a drop escaped him.

“Damn, I’m so full.”

They both rubbed his swollen stomach in silence until Zayn brought their lips together in something so loving and gentle that it made Niall’s heart skip a beat and he definitely felt Zayn’s hand press firm against his swollen tummy and he knew why. He liked it too.

XXXX

The next few weeks were uneventful, the vomiting weekly had almost ceased to nothing but an upset stomach sometimes, he still wasn’t anywhere near to his usual love of alcohol so he had to resort to smoking pot which in turn made him eat even more than normal but it was okay, he was relaxed and he enjoyed getting giggly and stupid with Zayn or Eleanor when she decided to swing by.

The weather had officially turned to spring now and Niall was busy in the kitchen making a traditional Irish stew that had been in his family for generations with shirt off and all the windows open, the ceiling fan on high to keep the air moving. He was still sweating though, the heat wave he’d been experiencing actually increased a bit and something else had happened.

His stomach had gotten bigger, like much bigger. It wasn’t as corpulent as it was that blissful night when Zayn knotted him and filled him to the brim, that had gone down the next day but now he had a definite bump and he was pretty damn certain that he was pregnant. Intuition or otherwise he was pretty sure.

He didn’t say anything to Zayn and covered it up with baggy tops as best he could because he wanted to be positive he was, one hundred percent sure he was with child before he told Zayn and then something happened where he wasn’t or lost the baby and Zayn would be distraught.

So here he was scratching the swell of his stomach that had beads of sweat running down it and he had actually made it a point to talk to the bump, he figured he must be a few weeks if not a few months along because Niall was already skinny and the size of his pudge now was definitely not just food weight. Niall honestly believed that Harry was right and Niall had gotten knocked up before Christmas meaning that if he was, that child growing inside him would be along to almost five months now.

“Now love, this is how we do it. You have to put in the potatoes first, then the carrots, add some more broth and here’s the secret ingredient but shush, can’t tell daddy or anyone. Horan family secret.” He rubbed his stomach and he wondered when that moment that he realized he just had to be pregnant that he sort of wanted to hide it, not that he was ashamed or didn’t want it, but he wanted to have it to himself as long as he could.

“The secret is this.” And he cracked open a bottle of old fashioned Irish whiskey, that made his stomach lurch, but splashed it in three times. “Gotta be three baby love and usually you take three for yourself but apparently you don’t like alcohol very much. Wonder how you’re mine if you don’t but whatever.”

And he had to strain to put the bottle back above the fridge as the stew boiled, “Now let’s go see if you’re actually real or I’ve been talking to my fat stomach being a nutter.”

He walked upstairs into the bathroom where the heat was stifling and hidden between a few towels in the linen closet was a pregnancy test he bought a few days prior. He wanted to do this on his own and Zayn had been around too often for him to do this. This was it.

He unzipped his fly and peed on the end of the stick and capped it then finished his business as time ticked by. He only had to wait about four minutes for it to give him the answer so he brought it down in his pocket to watch over the stew he was preparing for lunch that day, Zayn would be home soon and he’d get a nice home cooked meal and also he might just get one hell of a surprise.

Niall was dripping with sweat now as the timer on the stove ticked and he leaned over the pot to take a whiff of the meal that was coming along nicely, the slight stench of the whiskey made his head spin though and it was unusual since you’re not supposed to smell it. He figured that if he was in fact pregnant-he’d find out in about a minute-that was the reason he could smell everything so much more powerfully than before. If he was with child than his pups were really fucking with him.

The timer dinged and with baited breath he pulled out the skinny white stick and looked at the screen. Faded onto the small screen was “pregnant” but he waited a full other minute staring at it in case it did the same thing as last. But it didn’t.

Niall Horan was pregnant with Zayn Malik’s pups. Confirmed. Well by a home test anyway.

He started to cry but it wasn’t a heavy sob, just a soft whine and then his hand over his mouth with eyes tearing up blurring his vision. He was going to have a baby, this was it. Then his mind raced at how Zayn would react and he laughed because he knew how he would, he knew his alpha, Zayn would probably be in shock, then elation then he’d fly off the handle at what he had to do to prepare.

Niall took a deep, very calming breath in the sticky heat of the kitchen as his senses were coming back. He had a meal about to burn on the stove and he let the reality sink in that now he wasn’t just eating for himself and looking down he rubbed the small swell of his tummy, probably stuck out a good four inches and looked more like he had a beer gut than anything.

“Knew it. Well hello there, I’m your Da. Daddy’s gonna be real happy when I tell him you’re here.” Then a soft smile crossed his face before he wiped his brow with a kitchen towel cause fuck sake, why was it so hot! Windows all open, it was only May and this is England, the fan going and the one above the stove taking the steam away but he was still so fucking hot.

No matter, there was a reason and he’d bear it with a smile because he was with child and that was all worth it. He leaned over the pot as he stirred it to see the broth had just the right amount of color, the vegetables were just soft enough and the meat was perfect and juicy. He removed it from the heat and thankfully it wasn’t in his hands because a thick waft of whiskey went up his nostrils from the stew and his head spun again.

He swayed in his spot and had to grip the stove door handle to not lose his balance but something wasn’t going away. The spins. The heat. The sickening smell of the liquor now making his head go fuzzy and stomach churn.

Then it was black as he fell to the floor.

XXXX

Zayn came home from his only morning class to absolute silence in his new home, car parked in the drive and he was met with a very pleasant smell. Something robust and definitely home made. Niall was an amazing cook and he was thankful that he was.

“Babe?” He called out but was met with no sounds whatsoever, only a fast hum from what he had learned was the ceiling fan in the kitchen.

He walked around from the view of the stair case to see something that made his blood run cold, Niall on the floor and not moving. He ran over with lightning in his joints and lifted his omega into his arms, “Niall!”

Niall was out cold, his skin a sickish green color and clammy to the touch, mouth open and slack as Zayn lightly tapped his face getting no response panicked, “Come on baby, wake up.”

But he didn’t, pulling out his cell he quickly dialed for an ambulance in a garbled rush that he had to repeat his address three times between his hyperventilating. They said it would be only minutes before they arrived so Zayn just held Niall in his arms, he was still breathing and that gave him only a moment of relief as he heard the sirens approaching and upon the floor he saw something.

A white stick with a blue cap. It had slipped from Niall’s pocket when he fell.

With shaking hand, the other still holding his half naked unconscious mate with the other he realized what it was and Zayn almost fainted himself but looked down in fear at Niall’s slack face at the word “pregnant” across the screen. He placed his free hand to the small swell of Niall’s tummy and gave it a squeeze at the information that he was going to be a father but right now the carrier of his child was unconscious, cold and not moving in his arms.

XXXX

When Niall woke up it smelled funny, it was too clean and processed and it made his throat sticky and his mouth water. It was bright too, too bright for his liking as his eyes fluttered open and when trying to cover his eyes he felt a dull tug in his elbow and realized that he wasn’t cold but he wasn’t hot either, his body chilled to perfection and that was a small relief to how his head hurt, a sort of pounding that he didn’t realize until there was beeping near it.

When his eyes finally focused he noticed he was in a room with white walls and in an uncomfortable bed; hospital. And his other hand he tried to move but it was in a warm grasp, Zayn’s grasp, dark hair tickling the skin as the alpha was slumped over the bed and dozing. Niall gave it a smirk because that was just cute but then he wondered exactly why he was in hospital. He was cooking and then…nothing. He didn’t remember a thing.

He remembers how hot is was in the kitchen, remembers talking to his baby bump-his hand flew instinctively to his swell that was still there, breathing a sigh of relief-and then having it confirmed he was in fact pregnant then went back to cooking. Now he’s here. He wasn’t sure what time it was or even what day it was in fact.

No matter, he was fine and he actually really had to take a wee. Like really bad. So slipping his hand from Zayn’s grasp while the alpha mumbled something he hobbled his way over towards the bathroom dragging the pole on wheels that held a bag of clear fluid above his head and noticed that he didn’t have any pants on, or underwear and made to cover his bare bum with the flimsy gown.

Shutting the door with a soft click and gazing into the mirror he saw how much paler he was than normal, his blue eyes almost electric and how fucked up his hair was. Then there was a pang in his bladder and he hastily made it over to the toilet relieving himself with a satisfied “ahh” escaping his lips. Then he heard something muffled like his name. Shaking his dick to get the last bit out he wheeled and hobbled himself over-now noticing the sore side of his body on the right-and opened the door to Zayn mid shout, “-the fuck is he?! NIALL!”

“Zayn?” He asked in bewilderment because his alpha had a male nurse-thankfully male-gripped up by his scrub top and looking terrified. Zayn’s head snapped in his direction and face fell as he rushed over to his omega, “Where were you! I thought someone took you or something!”

His hands holding Niall’s head almost too tight, not helping the headache he had, and wide blown hazel eyes darting around his body.

“Went for a wee, why are you shouting?”

“Cause I, fuck Niall, don’t scare me like that.” He huffed out and pushed their foreheads together and his body was trembling and digging now very painfully into Niall’s shoulders. He hissed getting Zayn to loosen his grip and turn, “Sorry I uh…”

The shaken male nurse nodded and left with knees almost knocking and Niall knew that Zayn could be terrifying and as an alpha thinking his omega was in danger was nothing to fuck with.

“Zayn, what happened? Why am I here and why do I hurt everywhere?” He asked earnestly because one, he had no idea why he was in hospital and two, didn’t know why Zayn would go batshit crazy at the mere absence of him. He just had to wee for god’s sake. He moved his way over as the wheels squeaked attached to the bag on the hook with Zayn holding his free elbow up. Zayn sat him down on the bed and even tucked him in to the too thin blanket and reclasped their hands.

“Niall, I.” He gulped, “When I came home you were on the floor. I couldn’t get you to wake up and I was…I was so scared.” His hands shaking around Niall’s to which Niall squeezed them shushing him saying it was okay.

Zayn’s head snapped up, “No! It’s not okay! I come home to find you unconscious on the floor pregnant!”

Niall’s eyes widened because he hadn’t told Zayn about it. Maybe Zayn had figured it out but he was very good at hiding his bump and if Zayn had in fact noticed than surely he would’ve said something. Scratch that, Niall knows he would’ve said something.

“How did you.” Niall sort of asked because the only thing that could’ve tipped Zayn off was the fact that the last thing Niall remembered was him having no shirt on when apparently he had passed out. Hence why the right side of his body hurt so much and probably why his head did too.

“I saw the test on the floor. You’re-you are aren’t you?” He looked up hopeful.

“Seems to be.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” And there was something like betrayal and disbelief in his eyes and Niall’s heart broke a little bit. “Like, how long have you known?”

“Well I,” Niall started, “I just took that test before I came back downstairs but I think I’ve known for a while.” He shrugged and felt a bit guilty because he hadn’t been entirely open with his bonded alpha like he should’ve been.

Then there was silence, Zayn looking down where Niall’s knees were and the omega with one hand clasped between two soft palms and the other on his baby bump. The silence was interrupted by a soft knock and the burliest man Niall had ever seen come stepping into the room, “Mr. Horan?”

He cleared his throat, “Yes, that’s me.”

The man in white-had to be a doctor obviously-stepped in farther and stood up to full height and Niall had never once felt small in his life but right now in nothing but this gown he sure did. “I’m Dr. Higgins and I’m the one who’ll be seeing you.”

The omega simply nodded as Zayn’s grip tightened on his hand, this Dr. Higgins was an alpha and both could smell it, Niall looked poignantly at Zayn. Sometimes his possessiveness and protectiveness bordered on annoying. He loosened his grip.

“So I heard your mate here,” motioning towards Zayn with a nod, “found you on the floor. Do you remember what happened?”

Niall shook his head because he really didn’t. He came back downstairs and took the pot off the stove and then it was lights out.

“Alright, well it’s not really important. What is important is that you fainted somehow and that’s not conducive to anybody but particularly to someone in your condition. Pregnant.”

It looked as if Dr. Higgins was waiting for a shocked surprise or something but got none of it.

“I know I’m pregnant doc, took the test that he apparently found next to me after I blacked out. How long have I been here anyway?”

“Two days.” They both chimed in. Dr. Higgins sounding informative and Zayn sounding morose. Niall rubbed his thumb over the swallow tattoo on his mates hand.

“Damn.” Was all he could muster. Two days. Two fucking days he’d been knocked out.

“Yes, we checked your blood and it’s chock full of HCG but not enough nutrients to sustain that much so we had to give you heavy doses of them, that bag is what that is along with a hydrating solution. I take it you’ve been sweating a lot?”

Niall nodded, “Yeah, can’t seem to keep cool at all.”

“Typical pregnancy thing, it comes and goes with most male pregnancies but most have the heat wave along with the vomiting and heightened sense of smell.”

Then something clicked in Niall’s head, “The whiskey! I smelled it and it made me dizzy!”

Dr. Higgins made an expression like all was clear now, “Yes, okay. Good. That makes perfect sense then, certain harsh things, like alcohol, can really fuss with a pregnant omega males senses, my best bet is that you smelled it and it caused you to lose consciousness.”

Which made perfect sense seeing as Niall couldn’t even take a whiff without making himself dizzy or sickly, steam on top of that was probably a potent mixture to send him crumpling to the ground.

“But uh, my baby. Is it alright?” He asked rubbing a protective palm over his bump that had Zayn raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Yes, your baby is just fine. We can find out the sex if you’d like with a sonogram but right now I can give you a pelvic one just so you know.” He offered and Niall accepted because now that there was absolutely one hundred percent proof he had pups, he wanted to know that they or he or she was okay.

Dr. Higgins instructed Niall to lay back flat-had to adjust the bed-and hike up his gown with the blanket covering his groin. When the burly doctor reached forward to press against Niall’s bump, that looked much bigger when he laid straight back, Zayn growled. Like a deep, territorial growl getting the alpha doctor to pull his hands away slowly and Niall to turn his head, enough of this shit.

“Zayn Malik. Outside.”

“Babe I-“

“Now!” Pointing towards the door the doctor had come through and if Zayn had a tail it’d be between his legs as he grumbled going outside. Made Niall giggle when he tried to slam the door but the hydraulic lever on it forced it to slow down.

Then massive and very warm hands were rubbing over his stomach, out of the corner of Niall’s eye he could see Zayn’s face and his scowl through the window in the door. He chuckled because he knew this was driving him mad that someone else, and an alpha no less, was touching his bare stomach that under it held Zayn’s baby or babies.

“Is he like that with other alphas or?”

“Everybody. Not very often but alphas yeah and now that he knows I’m pregnant, he’s gonna be like that with everyone.”

“He’s not, um, he’s not abusive right? This is strictly between us, I can help you out if he is.” Dr. Higgins asked Niall as he started to gently press against his mound that was firm on both sides of receiving ends.

Niall actually laughed, “No he’s not at all. I promise you, just very protective of me and now like this,” motioning to his stomach and he hissed at a sharp pain where the doctor pressed down-his sore right side-and his face scrunched and there was a kick at the door. Looking back up he saw Zayn look about to rip it off his hinges, Niall waving him off mouthing “it’s okay”, “well he’s gonna be one of those really protective dads. Me and his pups are basically his everything.”

Dr. Higgins gave him a soft smile, “I know how that is. I’m quite like him, my wife and pup are the same to me. I get the same way he does when someone I think gets too close. Here, feel that?” Pressing down on a particularly hard spot that didn’t hurt but there was pressure.

“That’s your baby.” He gave a fatherly smile to Niall who held a look of absolute awe. He could feel it, like really feel it. There was something there, solid and firm and that was his baby. Another kick to the door.

Niall rolled his eyes and asked the doctor if he could bring Zayn in now, he nodded. Motioning Zayn inwards he started, “Zayn, enough. He’s a doctor and bonded with his own pup. Stop it.”

Zayn grumbled something under his breath crossing his arms.

“Keep it up and you won’t be feeling your pup right now. Think I’m playing.” Niall was about done with this bullshit. He loved Zayn and did love his coveting but at this moment in time he didn’t want it, this was a doctor doing his duties and not going to knot Niall right in front of him or anything. Reserve that shit for Josh or something.

Zayn slumped with arms falling to the side in his tight gray shirt, “Okay, m’sorry.”

That’s when Zayn was beckoned over and this doctor was lovely, he understood what it was like and them being so young he could get why Zayn was the way he was, taking both his olive toned hands under his, “Here, slightly press down and there. That’s your pup.”

Zayn inhaled and stuttered, looking down at where his fingers dipped into Niall’s pale stomach but was stopped by his baby, his pup was just under that skin and muscle, then his eyes went up to Niall’s and they were watery.

“I know babe, I know.”

“It’s right there.” He sounded like it couldn’t be happening but it was. That was his.

Then it moved and Zayn started to panic, “Where’d it go!”

Dr. Higgins pulled Zayn’s hands away because they were in danger of pressing too hard to Niall’s stomach, “Calm down Mr. Malik, it just moved away. Think how much you’d like being pushed on being so small. Your pup is fine.”

Zayn visibly relaxed and leaned down to kiss Niall over and over while muttering how happy he was and how well he’d take care of them and all that comes with being a young, headstrong and very protective alpha soon to be dad.

The doctor cleared his throat, “Alright, Mr. Horan we’re going to give you all that you need to make sure your pregnancy runs smoothly, lots of hormones and vitamins to keep you in top shape, hopefully it’ll help with the temperature thing which has been successful in prior patients. Also, we’ll have you come in at least once a month, if not two for checkups and that. But it seems that you’re pretty far along as it is and you are in line for a sonogram, when are you free to do one?”

“As soon as possible.” Zayn answered for him and he was about to reprimand him for answering a question not asked towards him but he had to agree, he wanted it just as fast as possible.

“Yes. As soon as possible.” Niall nodded confidently as Zayn squeezed his hand and the two expecting parents beamed at their physician as he scribbled down prescriptions for Niall to fill on their way home.

XXXX

The next available appointment was three damn weeks away from when Niall was finally discharged from the hospital, that night after he had been told he was in fact pregnant, and between that time they had gotten more than enough vitamins and hormones for Niall to take.

Zayn was hovering. Hovering to a point where it got annoying.

Now don’t get him wrong, Niall loved his alpha, loved his Zayn but sometimes even the most affectionate and lovey dovey of people want a second to breathe. Zayn waited on him hand and foot, drove him to each class-even when it was just across campus-and he was being an expecting alpha, Niall couldn’t really chastise him for that.

One particular Friday though, the weekend before the sonogram, he’d had enough. He wanted some air and thankfully with the hormones and vitamins now a constant source in his system going on three weeks he was almost completely normal, well except for the ever growing swell of his stomach that seemed to get even bigger now. The internal heat wave had diminished to only being overly hot when the mercury rose above seventy and his vomiting had ceased completely and he still had an appetite but that was to be expected, Niall was moving along in his pregnancy with great ease much to the relief of both parents.

But this Friday he was a bit annoyed because Zayn just couldn’t back up for a second, he’d walk Niall to each and every class-being late to all of his- would cater to him which was nice at first but even if Niall wanted to just go for a walk there would be Zayn cooing that he shouldn’t or that he’d carry him. Yeah right, fat chance Zayn. You’re not that strong to carry him that far along.

So when Niall was leaving his business class there was Zayn looking almost weary of how to address his pregnant mate.

“Come on love, get you to your next one.” He said in an unfamiliar and rather irritating voice, Zayn was talking more to his pups than he was to Niall.

That’s when Niall snapped, “Stop! I can make it meself!”

And started to-failed at-stomping away since his stomach was so much bigger to go across campus that would take him less than fifteen minutes, tops. He more waddled than stomped really.

“Ni! Baby come back!” Zayn started to jog after him and Niall sped up, as best he could, but he only made it a couple yards before Zayn was there in front of him with both hands on his shoulders, “Niall, no. I found you on the floor, I don’t want anything to happen to you or our pup. Please, let me help you.”

Niall shook him off, he was pregnant, not crippled and he voiced just that, “No Zee, look I know how you are and I’m fine! Please, give me a semblance of normal? I’m on the stuff now and I’ve been doing great, I just want to walk, stretch me legs out, do you know how good it feels to finally walk more than ten feet without you trying to carry me?”

Zayn flinched. Niall knew why. Fuck. He hurt his Zayn, he knew that Zayn was just trying to help and be that all providing person but Niall was still more than capable to do things on his own and he was never one to be smothered, he liked affection and even sometimes more than that but he thought that maybe his pups didn’t like it so much or that they’d really messed with him this time. Some appreciative pups they were to their daddies eh?

“Zee, babe. I can still do stuff alright, let me do stuff. Walking isn’t going to kill me, if anything it’ll help me get some exercise and keep these pups healthy. Now go, you’re already twenty minutes late to your class. I’ll be fine.” Niall had to smile because he just had to as Zayn nodded.

“Okay, but you call me, not even text. Call. Me. If you need anything.” And kissed Niall so fiercely in the middle of the quad that it got a few wolf whistles from complete strangers and some not so complete strangers. Two of them being Louis and Liam.

Zayn was gone with a wave before Louis and Liam approached the waddling omega with his tummy under a light jacket so it wasn’t noticeable enough, “What was that? Pretty hot stuff mate.”

Louis nudged his ribs making him wince, “Shit! You alright? I barely touched you.”

“Just sore. Fell.” Niall rubbed his side with a grimace cause it did really hurt.

“You fell?” Came Liam’s voice of worry cause well, it’s Liam.

“Uh yeah. Well I have something to tell you guys.” Niall nervously chickered out because he had only had the pregnancy to himself, now Zayn and now his doctor but to tell everyone else was a big thing. He had been so busy with Zayn getting the idea that he was pregnant and also their schoolwork plus Niall adjusting to the prenatals and vitamins that he hadn’t even spoken to his best mates for more than a few check up texts and he still sort of wanted to keep his pup or pups to himself. He was just like that.

He could only imagine breaking the news to their parents and he was over five months along. Probably get chastised by his mother for not telling them sooner and he feared telling them he had fainted making the Horan stew.

“What is it?” Liam asked nervously like Niall might have something fatal, Louis waited patiently much unlike himself.

“Well I uh, I’m pregnant.”

Silence. Louis’ face grinning so hard those lines that Harry had fallen for were carved into his face while Liam’s bearded chin fell to his chest.

“No way.” The beta voiced.

“Yes way. Come feel.” Niall grabbed both their hands to press against and define the swell of his stomach you couldn’t see and it was very noticeable now, firm under their fingers..

Two hands pressed against his stomach and Liam looked flabbergasted while Louis looked smug. He figured that since Harry basically knew he was with child that Louis would know he was pregnant as well.

“I knew you were. Haz told me all about it and then you what, just disappear for the past three weeks?” Louis was still a smug shit and Niall had to actually peel back Liam’s kneading hand against his mound because his right side still was a bit sore. He began to waddle again and hiked his bag up with one hand and the other now rubbing along his bump.

In the three weeks since the falling incident Zayn’s favorite place was just above his baby belly, talking and kissing it getting it to tickle Niall’s increasingly sensitive skin and when asleep his hand would protect the ever growing mound as they spooned. Niall loved that part in the morning when he’d wake up and move Zayn’s hand but the alpha in his sleep would try and hold on tighter until Niall was batting him away and Zayn would wake up confused.

“So how far along are you?” Liam questioned fixing his fitted hat.

“Five months I’d say.” Chimed in Louis not looking up from his phone, no doubt texting Harry in confirmation.

“Wow. Thanks Lou, love how everyone is answering questions about me and my pup before I can.” He grimaced but it didn’t last long because he knew that Louis was probably more excited and just keeping it at bay than maybe even Zayn was.

Okay maybe not as excited as Zayn was but close enough.

“But yeah, I think about five months now. I’m still pretty small so I’m thinking it won’t be a litter, just one or two small ones. Either way I’m happy. Bit unplanned but eh, what can ya do?” He shrugged as they entered another building where the three split up with Louis coming next to Niall just to make sure he got there okay. Niall rolled his eyes as Liam walked away with a wave and telling him if he needed anything don’t hesitate to ask.

“I can make it places on me own ya know.” He grumbled but Louis’ short arm was wrapped around his shoulder.

“Easy there, I have to go this way anyway to see Haz, he says congrats and to tell Zayn I told you so. But still, I’m gonna be an uncle so I have to make sure me wee pup is gonna be safe.”

Niall tried to fight back everyone who coddled him, Harry was even worse, but to no avail. He just had to grin and bear it and later that night when he stood, shirtless and let the four people who hadn’t touched his bare stomach do so in the living room of his house, he decreed, “Listen, I’m pregnant, I get it. But if I tell you to bugger off you do so alright?”

He almost got a refusal from Louis, big surprise, but countered, “And you won’t be a godfather if you don’t listen.”

The lad from Doncaster shut up after that.

XXXX

Niall was waiting in another hospital room but this one seemed a bit cozier than your standard place, he was alone even though Zayn protested because even though the alpha had basically all his classes done with for the rest of the year he still had to be in attendance and it just so happened that a mandatory class he couldn’t miss any more time in was the same time Niall had his sonogram.

He almost cried saying he had to be there to be with Niall and the omega kissed his watery eyes away saying that even if he wasn’t there, his pup was still coming home to him and he’d have pictures of them. Zayn chain smoked that morning as Niall took the bus-he walked him to the stop-and gave Niall the biggest kiss in front of an entire bus of people before he boarded.

Now he was here. His light hoodie off and his tanktop much the same on the chair with his jeans beginning to strain against his growing stomach and he scratched the skin near his happy trail noticing how flat his belly button was becoming. There was a soft knock and then the bulky Dr. Higgins stepping inside, “Hello Niall, where’s Zayn? Surprised he isn’t here.”

“Had classes and that could’ve been avoided if he didn’t keep skipping his to take care of me. I’m pregnant not paraplegic or something.”

“True you are but please, give him some slack yeah? He’s a young alpha with his first pup on the way, they all get like that.”

Niall nodded and agreed telling him how he had to lay down the law with not only his partner but with his friends too. The doctor commended him on his actions and gave him a pelvic exam commenting on how well he was looking, his body was still thin but was getting fattier where it counted-Niall’s ass being one of them much to Zayn’s approval when he fucked him from behind- his mound of a child nice and firm under his enormous hands and his cheeks had filled out and his skin looked magnificent.

“Glad Zee isn’t here, he heard you saying that stuff…” Niall could only laugh because Dr. Higgins did as well waving him off, “I’ve dealt with first time alpha dads before, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Then there was a contraption with a screen being wheeled closer to him and a tube of white and very thick gel being squeezed onto his stomach, he hissed at the cold feeling as the doctor apologized saying that everyone hated that part. He smeared the gel around with his now latex covered hands-where did they make gloves that big?-and left Niall’s mound a greasy, shiny mess.

The machine hummed to life and faint light was on the screen as Dr. Higgins and Niall made small talk, speaking of their families and now Niall’s growing one, how him and his mate had met and what they went to school for.

“So fresh out of Uni and already having a pup, seems a bit fast doesn’t it?”

“Who you telling, this one,” pointing to his shiny tummy mound, “was a surprise but not unwanted, just sooner than expected. So we gonna do this doc? I’m dying to know how many and whether its boy or girl.”

“Sure thing.” He nodded and there was that fatherly glint in his eye, thankful this young couple was so happy to have a pup not even in their mid twenties yet.

He moved the wand that had a red bar of light coming from it across and around his mound, he minded the still slightly sore side of Niall’s after that fall and soon the screen had something changing on it. It was faint and sort of blob like but then it cleared to resemble something like a baby, Niall couldn’t really tell.

But he heard it. Heard the baby’s heartbeat that had a rhythmic “thump thump whoosh” sound to it and he choked a little because he knew there was a pup in there but to now finally hear it, know that it was alive inside him, well who could blame him for that. Hormone stabilizers can only do so much for a pregnant omega.

“Well I guess I don’t need to tell you that’s the baby’s heartbeat, sounds nice and even too so no worries there. Looks to be over five months along now. And well let’s see what you’ve got down there…” He moved the wand a bit more until Niall couldn’t tell at all what he was looking at until the doctor traced a few lines, “There’s a leg and there’s the other, both arms right there and that’s obviously the head and it appears that you are gonna have…”

Niall’s breath hitched and he didn’t care what sex it was going to be but he was impatient as the wand continued to move, “Girl. Definitely a girl. Congratulations.” He beamed at the omega whose breath left in a whoosh and his hand smeared the gel over his stomach and under there was his baby girl.

XXXX

Niall was leaving with sunshine in his pores at the prospects of having a little girl, a healthy pup the doctor had said and she was moving just fine along inside him. Then they discussed the due date or roughly when it would be and since the baby was conceived a bit before Christmas they left a two week window in the beginning of August. He had also given Niall a rectal exam which was sort of uncomfortable since only Zayn had ever been up there and now he was really thankful he wasn’t because even if he was doing his job, that was another man and alpha going inside him.

However after giving him the exam he had deemed Niall in perfect working order to actually have the baby like that or he could go for a caesarean and gave him the pros and cons of either. Niall went with natural but demanded drugs because he didn’t like the idea of being cut open unless absolutely necessary and also the thought of having that scar for the rest of his life wasn’t sitting too well with him.

He climbed aboard the bus with sonogram pictures in hand, only three were deemed decent enough to actually be anything, a side profile of one tiny foot and hand, one where it was the whole side of her and the other of her growing head and part of her butt, that was Niall’s favorite and sitting on the bus headed back home he looked down at them fondly then remembered there were a few crucial people he had to call and tell them about this.

His parents and also Zayn’s. First grandpups for both sets.

He had talked to his parents of course in the time being but not long enough-and he was also very nervous-to tell them that hey, your baby boy is pregnant! He figured now with picture proof it would soften the blow and he’d been knocked up for five months and known for certain for one so give him some credit he held it in this long.

He texted Zayn saying that the sonogram went smoothly as the bus bounced along and within three seconds he got a phone call, “Tell me everything.”

“Well she’s doing just great. I got some pictures of her, so tiny right now but Dr. Higgins said her growth was on track and Zee, I heard her heartbeat, not gonna lie I did cry a little.” He did, bless him.

“She?” Zayn sounded winded as he said it.

“Yeah Zayn, it’s a girl.”

Then there was a loud shout making Niall recoil and pull the phone away, from it you could hear the alpha cheering, “GONNA BE A GIRL! I’M HAVING A DAUGHTER!”

Then there was some muffled garble and cheers erupting from his phone, much too loud to be somewhere with only a few people, “Zayn are you-are you in class!?”

He got his answer hearing, “Mr. Malik! I’d like it if you didn’t interrupt!”

He rolled his eyes, figured Zayn would call him in the middle of his bloody class and he huffed in annoyance and heard some more shouts and cheers and then it was quiet, “Yeah, sorry I couldn’t help it. Where are you?”

Niall stayed silent and gave him a judging look that Zayn obviously couldn’t see with lips pursed until Zayn sounded panicked, “Niall?!”

“I’m here. Zayn, can you please not get in trouble right before we graduate and you become a father? We have to set a good example for her.” Rubbing his bump again and he noticed an older woman look at him proudly on the bus as his stop approached.

“I’m sorry, just I’m so excited. A girl, there’s so much to think about now!”

The omega agreed as he stood from his seat and weaved his way down the aisle of the bus and stepped out into the warm, sunny day and he was so grateful that the hormone stabilizers given to him were really helping his heat wave so right now he was comfortable as the breeze continued, “Yeah, like what to tell our parents.”

“We’ll talk when I get home, gotta go! Love you!”

Niall responded accordingly as he made his way down the few blocks to his home and with sonograms in his hoodie pocket he had to make some phone calls. The first one was to the restaurant he worked at letting them know that he was five months along and would probably have to take leave pretty soon before he got too big, they set up a time for him to come in and set up the paperwork-thankfully he’d get paid time off-and then congratulated him on his pregnancy.

He wondered if Zayn had told the people he worked with at the bookshop about it, more than likely he did being so eager to be a father and now it was happening. He was thankful that a few of the paintings Zayn had sold from his senior portfolio was saved up in an account along with the money they had originally saved for housing now obsolete and it was sizeable, ready to be used for their little addition.

Zayn had already ordered everything from a crib to a changing table to clothes from online at surprisingly decent prices that would all be delivered within weeks and the small middle bedroom that held Zayn’s art supplies was moved down into the basement and that room the nursery now. They had enough to start off with, he knew that once both the Horan’s and Malik’s found out that they’d be swamped with everything else they could possibly need, he felt guilty since they’d just basically bought them a house but trying to tell new grandparents to not provide would be telling a fish not to swim really.

So he entered his home that felt more like one as the days progressed and went upstairs because he hadn’t realized how very tired he was. Trudging up the stairs he threw his hoodie over the railing and stood in the doorway to the nursery, Zayn had decided a soft eggshell would bode nicely so as not to gender specify anything and it was ready to be filled with furniture and toys and the little bundle Niall’s hand was lovingly rubbing over when he felt something inside. Felt like a weird nudge or bubbles inside and then there it was again.

She was kicking. First kick so far.

He smiled down making his way to his bedroom, stretching back and felt the pops in his spine as his stomach jutted outward and then there was a kick to the bladder, “Oooh! Alright, damn.” Waddling back towards the bathroom and relieving himself as his daughter continued to kick randomly. He then was dead on his feet, so much going on and so much more to do and he figured that until she was born he had better get as much sleep as he possibly could so turning on the fan in the window, Niall laid down in his bed that had a mixture of his and Zayn’s scent and he dozed off with a smile as his little pup kicked on.

XXXX

When Zayn got home he called out, “Babe?”

No response.

Fear automatically striking and he went around the stairs to see that Niall was nowhere to be found and his dander raised up of its own accord, worried that Niall was on the floor or even worse, hadn’t made it home. But he would’ve seen him on the street if that happened or got a phone call, bounding the stairs two at a time he saw the hoodie Niall wore earlier that day and something sticking from the pocket and peering through the railing saw his bedroom door open and Niall in bed.

“Oh thank god.” He breathed in relief because after finding his partner, pregnant partner, on the floor he was on high alert almost all the time. He pulled out whatever was in the hoodie pocket as he made it to the landing of the second floor and saw something that made his heart hurt but in a good way, pictures of his little pup, that was his girl. Proof now. With “Horan, Niall” in the corner of the sonogram.

He quietly crept into the room and set down the pictures onto the dresser, peeling off his coat and pushing up the sleeves to his red shirt and then kicked off his boots as Niall didn’t move, just snored softly with one hand over his mound and the other under the pillow. He curled behind his omega and linked the hand above his stomach with his own and pulled him closer, kissing the back of his neck and just enjoying his still presence there, he never got much of it anymore with them both being busy, graduation approaching and now their little girl on the way.

After a few minutes he felt Niall stir in his embrace then roll with a groggy voice, “Zee?”

“Yeah love, I’m here.” He giggled out the last part as Niall sort of slammed his face into Zayn’s scrawny chest and burrowed into that red shirt, inhaling him deeply and pressing their bodies closer.

“Well someone’s cuddly today.” He cooed petting down Niall’s unkempt hair and letting his lips graze down the side of his face, Niall grimacing slightly at the scratch of his ever growing beard. He’d blame Liam for the lack of facial hair manscaping going around.

“Missed you. Did you see the pictures?” He mumbled into Zayn’s skin as Zayn told him he had and that he was so happy and made Niall recount everything from the bus ride there to the actual sonogram and even the rectal exam that made Zayn tense up a little bit until Niall tugged him out of that envious mood he’d get in saying that it wasn’t pleasurable at all, just uncomfortable and Dr. Higgins had to make sure whether Niall could deliver normally or if they had to cut him open. He calmed after that.

They kissed for a while, soft and slow much like the sun was moving steadily across the sky until Niall’s stomach grumbled, “Well someone’s hungry.” And he waddled off the bed and made to leave the room with Zayn behind him, talking down the stairs, “We have to tell our parents. Like asap babe. Let them get used to the idea because she’s coming out in August and it’s like May now, they don’t have a lot of time.”

“You put it like neither do we.” He followed Niall into the kitchen where he insisted he’d make the sandwiches and saying he wanted one too so as Niall wouldn’t chastise him or tell him he was being smothered.

“I say let’s just do it now, before I lose my nerve. Get the laptop.”

Zayn saluted him and grabbed the sonogram pictures after Niall hollered from the kitchen and soon there was a sandwich with three kinds of cheese and more mayo than should ever be consumed in front of Niall with the laptop and the two munching away. Zayn pondered, “Why would you lose your nerve babe? Like they would have to know eventually.”

“Don’t know, s’just telling your parents that they’re going to be grandparents, lots of pressure riding on that.” He shrugged wiping away the stain of mustard from his chin and gulping down ice water handed to him earlier.

“Well I’m here, let’s get this over with yeah?”

Niall nodded and messaged his mother that they needed a skype date, preferably with his father there but it wasn’t absolutely necessary and she was fast onto the computer and soon enough a green bubble with his mother’s name under it lit up, then the tell tale skype sounds of a call coming through.

He took a deep breath, kissed Zayn quickly then answered, upon the buffering screen was his mother and his father both looking rather concerned, “Niall? Zayn? You two alright?”

“Yeah we’re fine mum, just wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh deary, that’s so nice of ya! We thought something was wrong, you usually never ask for these types of things. And excuse me young man, your mother would appreciate more than a text once in a while, just cause you’re grown and have Zayn doesn’t mean you’re not me little boy anymore.” Maura sounded stern but the grin on his father’s face gave it away she wasn’t actually angry, just a mom thing.

“So uh, how have you two been? How’s Greg?” He asked blushing because his mother made him all the time cause that’s a mom thing too.

“We’re doing just fine, your father’s been his usual self, work is going well and your brother is off gallivanting with his mates, not much has changed.” She shrugged and nudged her husband getting a smirk from him and right now Niall missed his parents.

“Too true, you alright?” Bobby spoke up and Niall felt like he was under a microscope and Zayn’s hand squeezed his under the small table in the kitchen with the sun now setting and casting a warm glow in the room.

“Uh yeah I’m fine, it’s just…” And he choked. He couldn’t actually say it for reasons unbeknownst to him and looked to Zayn for help.

“Well uh, we have some news.” Zayn came to the rescue.

Maura’s eyebrows rose and she shared a look with Bobby then turned back towards the screen where they could see Niall averting his gaze and chewing his bottom lip, Zayn looking as if he was fiddling with something and then a picture was being placed in front of the camera and first it was blurry but then it came into focus, Maura gasped, “Niall, is that?”

Then the picture was gone and there was Niall looking up at his mother from his downcast head and nodding, “Yeah.”

“OH MY GOD!” Came her shriek and she was gone in a flash as Bobby was left looking more than surprised.

“Niall, you’re pregnant?”

“Yeah dad, over five months. Girl.”

Zayn kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand, Niall still didn’t raise his head as his mother could be heard chattering in the kitchen, a distinct “pregnant when he was here on holiday” was heard and she was moving back and forth across the screen a room away. That mom hearing was keen and picked up on him saying the “over five month” part. Then something was vibrating as Maura came back in the picture.

It was Zayn’s phone still in his jeans pocket and he swiped the screen seeing his mother was calling, “Oh boy. You gonna be okay?” turning towards Niall and waiting he missed the first call, not a second later was his mother again.

“Yeah, go.” And then Zayn was leaving the room, “Hi mum.” Niall saw the shadow of Zayn recoil away from the phone in the dining room and that made him laugh because of course his mother called Zayn’s, his head went back down and he picked at his fingers.

“Hey, Niall, what’s wrong love?” His mother asked him wondering why her son looked like he was being reprimanded.

“Come on now, this is a good thing. Isn’t it?” Bobby asked and Niall didn’t see the worried look the two parents shared.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing.”

“Then why do you look so sad? We’re happy Niall, for both of you. Bit fast but come on, did you think we wouldn’t be happy for you?”

That’s when Niall raised his head with tears threatening to spill over because he didn’t know what his parents reactions would be and he was scared of what could either go unbelievably great-like it had-or exponentially wrong, he sniffed, “You are? You’re happy for us?”

“Don’t cry, of course we are! Couldn’t be happier! And a girl! I’m gonna have a granddaughter!” She beamed and Niall felt so much better now, letting out a shaky breath as Zayn re-entered the room holding out his phone, “She wants to talk to you.”

His eyes widened, “It’s alright babe, just wants to know all about the stuff I don’t know since I’m not the one carrying her.” And his calming smile did just that for Niall and he wondered how people went through this rollercoaster of mixed emotions almost constantly. He was happy, then hungry, then tired, then terrified, then nostalgic and it made his head hurt a little bit.

So they switched off. Zayn talking to Niall’s parents as Niall talked to Patricia and informed her of all that had gone on, when he had conceived and all that. Of course every last one of them vowed to help in any way they could even though the two expecting had things pretty much under control but then there was a conference call between Maura, Patricia, Niall and Zayn on Zayn’s phone and they were coming to visit together as soon as possible.

Both the alpha and omega groaned and were both quickly chastised by their mother’s for making such a sound when all they wanted to do was help.

XXXX

The next few months were probably the easiest of Niall’s pregnancy so far, he’d grown along to near eight months and his stomach now ballooned out so that he could only wear sweats or yoga pants and he hated it but Zayn would whistle at his swollen bum as he waddle by getting either a blush, grunt of the middle finger in response.

As promised, both the matriarchs of their families visited at the same time, it was easier for Patricia since she lived on the same island so it took a bit longer for both Maura and Patricia to come at the same time and it was nice. And then sometimes it wasn’t.

Maura cried seeing Niall so swollen and kissed his belly over and over in the doorway with Zayn struggling behind her with all her bags, they were glad that back room of theirs was easily converted into a guest room that Patricia had brought her massive blow up mattress so both could sleep in there. They didn’t do much sleeping really, either one waking Niall up at ungodly hours to eat a healthy breakfast, take his vitamins, they would clean and tidy the house-even when it was unnecessary-and made sure each of their sons was getting to class on time.

It was like when they were back in high school all over again except this time Niall was swollen and pregnant and Zayn was irritable because do you know how hard it is to have any kind of alone time, and yes that sort of alone time as well, with not only your mother but your partner’s mother just down the hall? Impossible.

So the two weeks they stayed it was if Niall and Zayn weren’t even a couple, only having the time in bed before sleep together and they were both so tired it was a few shared kisses and then lights out. When both their mother’s left it was a bittersweet goodbye, they’d been great helping Niall out and teaching him what he’d have to do as a father that only he could, like feed the baby. He blanched at the idea his flat chest could produce milk but guess what, it can. They taught him how to change nappies, how to use bottles and basically everything a baby needs. Zayn already had practice with his younger sisters.

But Zayn was no different as he was the alpha, the provider and his mother was stern with him on how to support his family, that made Zayn growl a little bit but he’d never step up to his mother. Not unless he didn’t want to have future pups that’s for sure.

So with a teary goodbye the two had left, not before hugging their sons and son’s mates so hard it was bordering unbearable and then both making sickening baby talk to his bump saying how much they loved their unborn granddaughter, still not knowing the name as they hadn’t really thought about it.

They did think about it a few days after the two had left, with Zayn and Niall in the bath with the swollen omega’s back to Zayn’s chest and the two relaxed in the tub, Zayn’s hand on the soft nudging to his palm, “She’s awake.”

Niall was dreamy, “Mhmm, she is.”

“So what our mums were saying, have you thought of any names?”

“Not really, I want something from the both of us ya know? Like I have an Irish one and you have the Arabic one. I was looking up some and I like Alannah.”

“Alannah. I like it. Middle or first?”

Niall shrugged, “Doesn’t matter.”

“Well there’s this name my mum was gonna name Doniyah when she was born and I’ve always liked it, thought it was pretty. A’amira, means ‘Princess’. What do you think?”

“Well Alannah means ‘Precious’ so I think we’ve got a match.”

Zayn snuggled his face into Niall’s damp shoulders as their little pup moved and Niall had to readjust himself and his stomach was so stuck outwards it made Zayn swell with pride because he was a proud papa for sure, “Alannah A’amira. I think it’s perfect.”

“Me too.”

“Horan?”

Niall turned his face, “No, she’s a Malik.”

“Why Malik?”

“Because she’s another one I’m madly in love with and also cause I like that name. Wouldn’t mind it as my own honestly.” Niall not so subtlety dropping a hint making Zayn’s eyes widened as Niall began talking to Alannah in his tummy, “How’s that baby girl? You like Alannah A’amira Malik after your daddy?”

He told Zayn after the kung fu kick to his liver that yes, she liked it.

XXXX

The boys were a constant in and out of the Horan-Malik household as graduation approached, Louis fawning much like Harry did over Niall’s enormous stomach and Liam rubbing his feet because those had swollen, one of the only parts of his body now. Eleanor provided the weed which didn’t go over too well at first but they looked it up and Niall hadn’t had a good buzz in a long time and it wouldn’t hurt the baby at all, helped when he got a headache or Alannah wasn’t agreeing with what her father was eating.

And life progressed.

Niall finished his classes up and handed in the last bits of work he had to do, passed his culinary finals with flying colors. Zayn managed to pass all his classes even though his month long stint of not showing up to most of them had brought his grade down a bit he was still fine and still had that internship set up with the visual arts company.

Zayn had picked up more hours at the bookshop to pay the small amount of bills since rent wasn’t something they had-parents bought the house and it was already paid off now-the nursery was completely set up by Harry and Zayn one afternoon over pizza and their house was baby proofed by Eleanor and Niall making sure anything that could harm her wouldn’t.

Their parents had been sending over packages of clothes, diapers, wipes, formula for when she went off the teet, two strollers, two car seats and even a motorized swing and a small pac-n-play for when she was downstairs. They were set.

Liam and Eleanor had made it official by this time, them both grinning like idiots when around each other. Louis and Harry were still Louis and Harry and life was great. Niall was ready to be not pregnant anymore after yet another swift kick to the bladder at three am and him grumbling out of bed as Zayn mumbled something still dead asleep, the bastard.

When Niall returned to bed there was Zayn wrapping him back up and kissing his shoulder, voice and accent muddled, “Shush, don’t talk to da baby like dat.” still half asleep and only catching a portion of the curses Niall sent to his unborn child, he wasn’t angry, just tired.

“You shush and try carrying around a watermelon inside you that likes to make you pee all the time.”

He fell asleep within minutes as Zayn scratched along his belly and Alannah kicking happily inside. She was a kicker when she was awake. Sometimes it was easy and Niall got used to it and sometimes it was like a small train barreling into his organs.

Niall had three more sonograms during this time and their pup was in perfect health and size deemed by Dr. Higgins, Zayn made it to each of these sessions and now he could watch the doctor touch his pregnant mate without growling or getting possessive even if his fists did clench a little bit.

The last one was a week before the two and their friends were due to graduate, “Well Niall, Zayn, she’ll be ready to come out very soon. But things are perfect and what I want you to do is take it easy alright? No reason to stress or overwork yourself.”

The two nodded and promptly left the hospital after their appointment with Zayn’s hand firmly clasped in Niall’s as he drove them home.

XXXX

Two days before graduation.

The tension in the air was almost imperceptible as he walked around campus for the final time, saying goodbye to his teachers who all had to touch his very swollen belly, a week or two, maybe three left and she would come out and he was glowing.

He was waddling over to the cafeteria to maybe get one last taste of horrible college food-he’d blame the baby and not him for wanting it-when a voice stopped him, “Hey Horan!”

Fuck. He knew that voice. A voice he hadn’t heard in months since as soon as he was done with class he had no reason to be on campus, he shared no classes with that alpha and he had hoped that his final weeks before he left he wouldn’t have to deal with him. Fate wasn’t on his side though.

He tried to move faster across the quad but heard heavy footsteps bounding behind him and with a flash of brown hair, there he was. Josh Devine still looking like the absolute twat he is.

“Sup Niall?” He grinned and Niall didn’t like the look he had on his face. The omega cowered a bit and covered his stomach in the thin hoodie he was wearing, his paternal instincts on overdrive as this alpha stopped him in the nearly empty area. His eyes darted around and he didn’t like how barren it was but was appreciative it was out in the open so Josh couldn’t really do anything.

“What do you want Josh?”

“Nothing, just wanted to see you. Heard Malik knocked you up and I see that I wasn’t misinformed.” Brown eyes he didn’t trust looking down his body. His arms got tighter around his stomach and he felt Alannah kick twice making him really regret detouring to the cafeteria instead of going straight home.

“Yeah he did and if you don’t mind.” Trying to walk past but was stopped by Josh’s much more firm than needed grip on his bicep.

“You know, I never understood why you went with him instead of me.”

“Because he’s not an absolute prat like you are and actually cares about me, that’s why.” His arm still in Josh’s grip and he fumbled with his phone in his pocket knowing he couldn’t really use it but pressed the one on his speed dial, Zayn’s number.

“Yeah but I could knot you better, should be my pups in there.” And he moved his other hand to touch Niall’s stomach but the omega recoiled as best he could, “Don’t you touch me!”

Josh let him go but backed him up, Niall’s eyes frantically searching for help but no one was around, he was helpless, pregnant and alone and he wasn’t strong enough to fight off Josh even if he wasn’t pregnant. He could try but Josh was much stronger than he was anyway.

“Come on Ni,” his back against a tree and Niall hoped that Zayn had answered because Zayn was on campus too, he thought he could hear Zayn’s voice muffled in his pocket, “let me just knot you. Just once. I bet it’s even better than you could imagine.”

Niall couldn’t scream because he wouldn’t let that happen, just because he was scared, expecting and alone and may even be hurt right now he wouldn’t give this douchebag and pathetic excuse of a man get that satisfaction, no way in hell. He pulled his arms over his stomach protectively as Josh held one arm near his head and the other pressed to an open part of his baby belly.

“Should be my pup in there,” and he pressed getting Niall to whine out in pain as Alannah kicked furiously on the inside, “all swollen with mine. How it should’ve always been. You should’ve chosen me that day you went into heat.”

“J-Josh, that was three years ago! Let it go! I chose Zayn alright!” And he pushed with his shoulder to remove the painful pressure to his stomach, Alannah still kicking so she was still okay.

“And it was the wrong choice! Do you know how bad I’ve wanted you since that day? Can’t get your smell out of my head, so intoxicating.” And he stepped forward with a growl and eyes blackening with Niall backing into the tree, phone still gripped tight in his hand and he prayed that Zayn was on the other line listening, doing something.

“So what are you gonna do, rape me in the quad in broad daylight? This baby is still his and she’s not going anywhere so I suggest you leave me alone.” He sort of yelled “the quad” part and heard his phone hang up with a soft click. Fuck.

“Or you’ll what Niall? Even if she is in there I still want you, need to be filled with my knot. Come on baby, I promise it’ll be the best you’ve ever had.” He purred out rubbing his finger down the side of Niall’s face and the omega shivered at how disgusting and foreign it felt against his skin.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw something black and moving fast. And then that something black split into two and something larger than the other was barreling towards them at blinding speed, Josh not aware of what was happening.

“You promise Josh? Best I ever had?” He seductively countered and Josh’s eyebrows went up at the quick turn of Niall shying away from him to now maybe warming to the idea. He smirked, “Yeah baby, best. My fat knot will feel even better than what that tosser could give you. Never even had a taste of me before you bonded with him.” The arrogance just oozing from his body.

“Well okay, but first I have to tell you something.” Niall played with a smirk because that black figure that split into two was Zayn and what soon turned into Harry bursting through a door and booking it across the grass.

“Anything Niall.” Josh leaned forward about to bring their lips together, Niall saw Zayn’s face in a twist of fury and Harry’s in utter lividity. Niall hovered on his toes with hands protecting his belly and breath ghosting over Josh’s mouth, the alpha licking his lips to moisten them, eyes locked and Niall whispered, “Watch out.”

“Wh-“ and Josh was taken down.

“ THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU!?” Zayn was rolling Josh over and over away from Niall with Harry’s arms spread wide to keep the pregnant omega back from where the nastiest snarls were being spat from Zayn’s face.

Then Josh was on the ground and Zayn was pummeling his face, leftrightleftrightleftright. That sickening crack to his face as the blood flew and stained the grass. Zayn was going to kill him.

“TOUCH MY FUCKING MATE! MY PUP! MY! FUCKING! NIALL!” Over and over as Josh lay limp in the grass and Zayn didn’t stop.

Niall was freaking out because he knew Zayn would attack and rightfully so but he could kill Josh right now and he didn’t want his daughter to be born to a father in prison for manslaughter. Even though Josh was the type of guy who should’ve been offed ages ago.

“Zayn! BABY STOP!” And he broke free from behind Harry and somehow made it over as Zayn reared back and Niall only caught a split second look at Josh’s face beaten almost unrecognizable when there was a sharp jab to his exposed belly. Zayn’s elbow had come back full swing to hit him.

“OH!” And he fell to the ground in pain strong enough to cause him to cry immediately, his stomach searing now and Alannah not moving anymore.

Zayn turned at the sound and saw Niall clutching his stomach in agony, “Niall!”

He picked up his mate the best he could but failed and the two were on the grass with Niall in Zayn’s arms much like he was when he went unconscious all those months before, “Baby I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that! Niall I’m so sorry!”

“Zayn, I can’t-I can’t feel her. She’s not moving.” He whimpered out as the pain coursed through his body and the terrifying thought his baby was gone with a single blow.

“NO!” And Zayn then picked up Niall bridal style and made his way as fast as possible to his car in the lot, straining under the dead weight-he didn’t like to think of that word ‘dead’ right now-as Harry was left to deal with a possibly dead Josh on the grass and Niall in anguish in his arms.

XXXX

When Niall awoke he sat up in terror and then yelped in pain at the burn near his waist. His hand went instinctively down and there was nothing there, his swollen stomach only a small pudge like it was earlier before. Alannah wasn’t inside him anymore and the beeping of the heart rate monitor went berserk as panic settled in where his pup should’ve been.

Zayn was sitting next to him and was in his face before the crying started, “Shhh, calm down.”

The sobs went through his body as Zayn held him close and rocked him as gently as possible, “Zayn ,where’s she? Where’s my baby?”

The alpha pulled back with tears running down his face, “She’s in s-surgery right now, they had to take her out. Niall p-please for-forgive me. This is all-all my fault.” And Niall through blurred vision saw that Zayn’s eyes were bloodshot and his lips were chapped and he looked as if he had literally tried to pull his hair out.

“What happened?” His heart still racing and breath going short because he had no idea what was happening to his baby girl and he tried to move but couldn’t, this burning line across his waist halting him.

“Well we,” Zayn choked and sat down shakily in the seat, “we got here and you had passed out, she didn’t move at all cause I ke-kept checking and I almost got us in a wreck. But they took her out of y-you.”

Niall’s one hand not being held by Zayn gingerly rubbed across thick padding on his waist and knew how they removed her, how he didn’t want her to be born but it didn’t matter what he wanted anymore, she had to be taken out.

“They said, oh god, they said she had head trauma and a hem-hemorrhage and they’ve been in surgery for two and half hours now and oh god! Niall I’m so sorry! I didn’t me-mean this to happen! I could’ve killed my pup!” And Zayn broke down into another fit of sobs and heavy hyperventilation. The first one witnessed by Niall but not the first since he’d gotten there. He had steadily bawled his eyes out next to Niall and in the waiting room waiting for his omega to be done his emergency c-section. Four hours about.

Niall’s heart was officially broken because his precious girl was in surgery and Zayn blamed himself, it was Niall’s fault this all happened and he voiced that, voice heavy with tears that matched his cheeks and crumpled face, “No Zee, that was my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten in the way but I didn’t want you to kill him.”

Zayn flew back and his chair ricocheted making Niall wince and not only because the sound but in fear of Zayn right now and in pain from the actual jumping he did in the bed, “So you’d rather me I killed our daughter!?”

“NO! That’s not what I said! But you were gonna kill him Zayn!”

“And I should’ve! He touched you and tried to hurt my pup and I heard what he was saying to you!”

So Niall’s plan did work, Zayn heard almost everything Josh had said through the phone.

“I couldn’t have you do that!”

“Niall! I-I killed our baby!” And he fell onto the floor as a nurse looking wild rushed in yelling about the commotion and what was going on. Zayn jumping in front of Niall sat on the bed with arms opened to protect as his face was still crumpled at the thought he’d killed his own child, his first pup’s blood was on his hands.

Niall pulled him backwards and held his arms down tight as he started to bawl much like the alpha that shook in his embrace did, Zayn muttering over and over that he’d killed his pup, that he was horrible and couldn’t live with himself and that he was better off dead.

Niall shushed him the best he could and forced his alpha to turn around and face him, both hands on his splotchy red face, “Don’t you dare say that. Don’t you d-dare. You’re a good fa-father and you didn’t mean any of this-is okay? You promise me right n-n-now that you believe me.” Niall’s voice wavered because he was certain he couldn’t lose Alannah and knew he couldn’t lose Zayn.

“I-I promise.” And his voice was scratchy and thick with tears and Zayn looked as if his whole world was taken from him and maybe it was. Niall didn’t look much better.

“And you know that no-no matter what happens I lo-love you and none of this is yo-your fault. I need you to be strong for me ok-okay? Cause I-Zayn,” the resolve breaking down and tears flowing full force at the thought that maybe she was gone, “she was my baby too.” The last part whined out and the pain of their loss being shared.

And then the flood gates opened and the two partners fell into each other, gut wrenching sobs and cries being shared as Zayn clung to Niall and Niall clung to Zayn with only dread, uncertainty and somberness between them.

XXXX

It was an hour later that the surgeon came in and gave them the all clear and that their baby girl was recovering. A bit bruised but she would heal and she was in stable condition, the pressure to her brain left no scarring and she was fully developed enough to be put in the NICU for only a short while.

The two parents broke down into inconsolable sobs for twenty minutes, kissing each other over and over and mumbled apologetic words over and over much like their kisses. Then the nurse came in giving him the stats of the baby, twenty inches long at a solid seven and a half pounds, all her fingers and toes and very dark hair. Zayn glowed a bit at that part.

When Niall and Zayn had filled out more paperwork, like her birth certificate with her full name, Alannah A’amira Malik, and then the nurse left that’s when Zayn got quiet and took Niall’s hand in his. They were exhausted and it was nearing midnight now and Niall had only been in a drug induced sleep for a few short hours, “Babe, I’m so sorry.”

“Zayn, that wasn’t your fault.”

“Y-yes it was. I could’ve killed her, I could’ve killed my p-pup.” He gulped and sniffed hard as the tears threatened to come back up but Niall had steeled himself a bit harder this time. She was okay and that’s all that mattered. He knew that Zayn would beat himself up about this for the rest of their lives even though their pup, their brand new baby girl, was fine. Just a bump in the road was all.

“Hey, you look at me right now.”

Zayn listened and Niall pouted a second before wiping his thumb under Zayn’s eye, he nuzzled his face into it.

“I know what could’ve happened, I get that. But I know something else.”

“What’s that?” He asked with his face still pressed into Niall’s palm as a warm thumb moved over his stubble now.

“That you would be the one to save her. You got me here. You carried me all that way and got me here. She wouldn’t have survived if I was by myself. You saved her Zayn.”

A bit of sparkle returned to those hazel orbs in Zayn, “But if I hadn’t-“

“If you hadn’t have come to my rescue, Josh could’ve hurt me and her and then where would I be? You had to be there to save her, no matter what happened Zayn, you are the reason she’s still alive. So stop saying this, please.” Niall’s voice dropped as the final part came out because it was true. No matter how it went, if Zayn hadn’t shown up at that moment in time, then Niall might not be here.

He could’ve been raped by Josh and had the baby harmed. Zayn would blame himself because of that.

He could’ve just been hurt by Josh and left alone and Niall was already slow on his feet and god only knows how long or even if he could get help through the phone or someone passing by. Zayn would blame himself for that as well.

And if what Niall thought was going to happen, Josh being killed, then Zayn would go to prison and might not ever see his daughter grow up the right way, be taken away from his newly formed family and even then. Zayn would blame himself for that.

Even though it was unconventional, traumatizing and dangerous, this was sort of how it had to happen when the obstacle of Josh’s advances presented itself. That made a thought pop into his head, “What happened to him?”

Zayn gave an airy laugh, “Well he won’t be posing for pictures anytime soon. Or eating solid foods. Broke most of his teeth out.” He grimaced at his scabbed knuckles and cracked them. Niall telling him to get a nurse to clean and wrap them up to which he promptly did.

They never heard or saw Josh ever again. Harry informed them later on down the road that he had been taken to the same hospital but refused to be even in the same county as Zayn Malik. Serves him right.

XXXX

They met their daughter a day later and she was beautiful. Tiny as a football and pinkish colored but beautiful. Around her head was a thick bandage and they couldn’t pick her up just yet as the wound healed, Zayn’s eyes went downcast but Niall’s hand was there to lift his face when Zayn refused to go near his pup, “Hey, remember what I said. You saved her love, end of story.”

Zayn nodded and Niall knew that it would take a while before Zayn could forgive himself. Niall already had and told him at that very moment.

Their first encounter was tiptoed really, Zayn not going near her until Niall said what he did and then there was a squeeze to his freshly washed finger, “She’s strong babe, might have an alpha like her daddy.”

And that got Zayn to finally lean forward and look closer at his baby, his finger wiggling between her fist and when she squeezed his he made a choked sound making her twitch in her too big diaper. Niall chuckled at the touch and go interaction his mate was having with their pup and by the end of the day, after she’d been fed by a bottle since she couldn’t be lifted and her nappie changed twice it was Zayn next to the bed as he fawned over his daughter, singing to her in Urdu like his father had done for him. She really seemed to like that and was soon fast asleep and wheeled back away into the NICU for a few more days.

That first night after meeting Alannah, Zayn crawled into bed with Niall and carefully pulled him into his side and kissed the back of his neck, “I love you Niall and I love her.”

“We love you too Zee, get some sleep. She’s gonna be a handful if she’s anything like you.”

“Is not. You’re the party animal.”

“Am not. Who was it that woke me up at three am all the time in the dorms?”

Silence from behind him.

“Yeah, s’what I thought. You were such a dick.”

“Yeah but I’m yours now. Nothing you can do babe.” Kissing Niall’s neck with a yawn.

“And I like it that way.”

They slept through their entire graduation ceremony.

XXXX

It wasn’t until a month later they could take little Alannah home. Niall had been home two weeks prior but had basically set up shop in the hospital, they hadn’t even cleared out his room so he could sleep there with his baby girl in her bassinette and covered in warm blankets. Zayn opted to stay there more often than not as well but still had a job to do and he was always smelling of coffee, tobacco and old books whenever he came in due to extra hours at the shop.

When they finally did take her home it was to a full house. None of the boys had visited in the hospital because Niall wanted his own time with his pup before anyone else, call him selfish, but they all understood. And there was a whispered “surprise!” as the two walked in the door and there was Eleanor with her arms around Liam, Louis much the same around Harry, a few acquaintances from the restaurant Niall worked at, the bookshop and the Malik and Horan parents and siblings.

Alannah was a hit. She was wrapped tight in her swaddle and they all gasped when they saw her eyes, a strange mixture of blues and browns and a bit of gray making her eyes almost look celestial than anything. Niall and Zayn had gotten used to it in the month passing. Her hair was black as midnight just like her daddy’s and her skin tone was much like his.

The only thing so far she’d gotten from Niall was his appetite and his nipples were supremely sore after a feeding almost every hour. But she was perfect and they were happy. Her wound had healed to a faint scar at the very base of her hairline so that when she grew it could be easily covered. When Zayn first saw it he teared up but Niall reminded him that it was something that happened but if her daddy wasn’t there that she might not be here right now.

When they had placed Alannah into her new crib at home and Zayn walked Niall down the stairs he went to his mother after telling Niall to stay right where he was. A ripple of excitement in the air as Patricia was tearing up and Maura looked near the same, both fathers looking on proudly as Zayn held something in his hand.

“Niall Horan, love of my life, father of my child and my best friend. I remember you saying something about liking my last name so much and that’s why that beautiful girl you’ve blessed me with upstairs has it and now I want you to have it as well.”

He dropped to one knee. Niall’s eyes widened and flew around the room as Louis was bouncing and squealing, El’s hand over her mouth and gripping Liam’s with the other, “In front of all these people, right here in our home I have to ask you one thing.”

And pressed between his fingers was a silver band, “Will you marry me?”

And Zayn looked up with wide eyes full of more emotions than any one person can have for another.

“YES!” And Zayn was off the floor and kissing Niall fiercely with no tongue as the room cheered.

Then there was a shrill cry from upstairs and a bunch of whispered and shushed “sorry!”

“I’ve got her, just needs to go back to bed. You two celebrate.” Patricia said with Maura close behind.

Niall and Zayn didn’t stop kissing that night. Alannah did go back to sleep but for only a little until Niall and his chest was called back into action twice and she was finally down for the count as the guests began to filter out.

Zayn had told Niall that ring was his grandfather’s- a very dear man to Zayn-and he’d had it resized to fit Niall’s finger. He had measured it while Niall lay asleep in the hospital before he went to work and had his mother hastily get it done so he could propose that night when they brought their pup home.

They kissed in bed for so long they didn’t realize how long until their baby started crying wanting another feeding and more than likely a diaper change.


End file.
